ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University baseball team lost two games to Shepherd Sunday afternoon at Anderson Field in Mountain East Conference play as the Rams won 5-3 and 16-4.
Game 1: Shepherd 5 – Concord 3
Shepherd (13-12, 11-1 MEC) held off a seventh-inning rally from CU (14-14, 8-4 MEC) to hang on for a two-run win.
After a scoreless first inning, the Rams jumped on the board with two runs in the second and two additional runs in the third inning. However, Concord answered back with three runs in the bottom half of the third.
Freshman outfielder
Ryan Fralin and freshman infielder
Nathan Neff reached base to begin the inning, and advanced on a passed ball. Junior catcher
Paul Williams took advantage of the situation with a sacrifice fly to plate Fralin.
Neff came across to score on an RBI from junior infielder
Chad Frazier, and sophomore outfielder
Evan Webb concluded the opportunity with a single into left field that brought home Frazier.
The score would remain 4-3 until the top of the seventh when SU's Chase Hoffman homered over the left field fence to make it a 5-3 contest.
Shepherd got two quick outs in the bottom of the seventh, but the Mountain Lions would not go away quietly in their last at-bat. Williams poked a single through the left said. Frazier followed up with a base hit into right center field. A balk allowed both runners to be in scoring position, but the Rams induced a pop out to end the game.
Webb and Williams each had two hits with an RBI a piece.
Freshman pitcher
Joseph Lowder (1-3) was charged with the loss, tossing a complete game. Lowder gave up five runs on four hits and struck out four batters.
Game 2: Shepherd 16 – Concord 4
Shepherd scored seven runs in the top of the seventh to turn a 3-2 edge into a 10-2 lead.
Senior pitcher
Nate Werner and SU's John Bentley were in command throughout the first four innings with neither team plating a run.
The Rams broke through with three runs in the fifth. An inning later, the Mountain Lions got timely hits from sophomore catcher
Jordan Clark and sophomore infielder
Brett Simmons as each hit brought home Frazier and Webb to cut CU's deficit to one run, 3-2.
Shepherd answered the Concord runs with seven of its own in the seventh as it went onto to win 16-4.
Neff and Simmons each had three hits in game two. Frazier and Webb registered two hits apiece. Clark, Frazier, Neff and Simmons accounted for the Concord RBI.
Werner (2-1) was tagged with the loss, pitching 6.1 innings, allowed just three earned runs on eight hits and striking out two.
The Mountain Lions hosts Davis & Elkins for a non-conference tilt 3:00 p.m. Wednesday at Anderson Field.
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