ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University baseball team earned a split with Pitt-Johnstown Sunday afternoon at Anderson Field as UPJ won game one 14-9 before the Mountain Lions battled back to win game two 8-3.
CU is 3-9 on the season while Pitt-Johnstown is 8-3.
Game 1: Pitt-Johnstown 14 – Concord 9
Seven runs by the Mountain Cats in the fifth inning was the difference in the game after CU took a 6-5 lead into the fifth.
Both offenses got off to fast starts with each team plating three runs in the first inning.
Concord's runs came via a two-run double from sophomore infielder
Trevor Wiersma that scored junior infielder
Chad Frazier and freshman infielder
Nathan Neff. Wiersma crossed later in the inning on an RBI groundout by sophomore catcher
Jordan Clark.
Down 5-3 in the fourth, CU responded with three runs on five hits in the bottom of the frame as Frazier scored Neff who led off the frame with a single. The other two runs came on a groundout by Wiersma and an RBI base hit from sophomore outfielder
Evan Webb that brought in Frazier.
Pitt-Johnstown answered with seven runs in the fifth to grab a 12-6 advantage.
CU got to within 14-9 after a three-run sixth inning that featured RBI from junior outfielder
Oscar Garcia and Webb as well as sophomore catcher
Paul Williams racing home on a wild pitch. The five-run deficit was the closest the Mountain Lions came in the late innings.
The first four hitters in Concord's lineup of Neff, Williams, Frazier and Wiersma all had two hits with Webb and Wiersma adding two RBI each.
Freshman pitcher
Indiana Hall (0-3) was charged with the loss in relief.
Game 2: Concord 8 – Pitt-Johnstown 3
The Mountain Lions ensured a doubleheader split as they took advantage of eight UPJ walks and received a stellar pitching effort from sophomore
Troy Beckner.
Concord jumped on the board in the second inning without recording a hit. The Mountain Lions drew four walks in the frame and also had a hit batsman. Frazier and Williams drew back-to-back bases loaded walks to build a 2-0 lead.
CU added to its edge in the fourth as junior infielder
Ian Southcott led off the frame with a triple, and was plated by Neff's RBI base hit two batters later. Frazier and Neff scored later in the inning as a result of Wiersma's single.
Pitt-Johnstown scored two runs in the sixth to cut CU's lead to 5-2, but the Mountain Lions came right back with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Southcott spearheaded the attack with a two-run single after an eight-pitch at-bat, and junior outfielder
Nico Church provided a third run on a throwing error by UPJ's catcher Scott Thompson.
UPJ notched a run in the seventh, but Beckner completed his afternoon with a groundout to help CU to an 8-3 win.
Beckner (1-0) allowed just one hit to Pitt-Johnstown through the first four innings of play and seven hits for the game. The Roanoke, Virginia native struck out five hitters and allowed two earned runs. Sunday was Beckner's fourth career complete game and his first since April 11, 2016 at West Virginia State. It was also his eighth career game with at least five strikeouts.
Southcott had three hits and two RBI to pace the CU offense. Neff added two hits in game two as he went 5-for-10 in the series in addition to drawing four walks on the weekend.
Concord opens a three-game series with Lake Erie at home 12:00 p.m. Saturday.
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