ATHENS, W.Va. - 2018 was full was special moments for Concord Athletics as three student-athletes  garnered All-American status, two more athletes earned the distinction of NCAA Division II Statistical Champion. The past calendar year was full of triumphs, victories and celebrations for several Concord sports programs. From December 22 through December 31, we will count down the best moments from the last 365 days.
As we move along in the top five, our fourth-best moment heads to the baseball diamond.
For 20 straight years, the Concord baseball team has played in the conference baseball tournament.
On the first Sunday in May, the prestigious streak was one strike away from ending and not becoming 21.
See, heading into the final weekend of Mountain East Conference play, CU needed to win two of its four games against UVa.-Wise to secure a spot in the postseason tournament. After splitting the first two games at UVa.-Wise on May 4, the Mountain Lions returned to Anderson Field two days later needing to win one of two games.
The Cavaliers took the first game, 6-2, and held a 6-5 edge with two outs in the bottom of the seventh of game two. With the tying run on base, then-junior outfielder
Evan Webb found himself in an 0-2 hole at the plate. After a battle—fouling off pitch after pitch—Webb was aboard with a walk to move outfielder
Adam Linkous into scoring position. Now-graduate first baseman
Trevor Wiersma wasted no time tying the game as he lined a single into center field on the first pitch he saw. Linkous rounded the bases to tie the game and send the contest to extra innings.
However, Concord was forced to rally again in the eighth after UVa.-Wise took a 7-6 lead. The Mountain Lions found themselves in a similar situation, down one with one out left to make something happen, but once again a runner on base.
Adrian Peralta laced a single into left-center field and this time pinch runner
Connor Boothe raced in to tie the game.
Two pitches later, the CU streak would live on as Peralta came barreling around third base on Linkous' single to give Concord an 8-7 triumph over the Cavaliers.
Linkous' hit was also a finalist for MEC Play of the Year.
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