WINGATE, N.C. – The Concord University baseball team was edged in a pair of close game by Wingate, 7-6 and 1-0, Saturday afternoon at Ron Christopher Stadium.
The Mountain Lions are now 0-3 while Wingate improves to 3-0 with the two narrow victories.
Game 1: Wingate 7 – Concord 6
The first game of the afternoon featured four lead changes as both offenses battled back and forth before WU took the lead for good in the bottom of the seventh.
Junior catcher / outfielder
Jordan Clark gave CU a lead in the top of the first as his single brought in sophomore infielder
Nathan Neff. Wingate answered with three runs in the bottom half.
After a scoreless second, both teams added a run in the third.
Junior outfielder
Evan Webb crossed home on an error in the WU outfield.
With the Bulldogs holding onto a 4-2 lead, the Mountain Lions scored the next three runs. Senior infielder
Chad Frazier provided a sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth to plate junior infielder
Adrian Peralta. Frazier and freshman utility
Anthony Stehlin raced home on the first of Clark's two doubles in the contest to give CU a 5-4 edge in the sixth.
The leadoff man for Wingate reached in the bottom of the inning, then Ty Andrus blasted a two-run home run to give WU a 6-5 lead. Wingate added a third run in the frame for a 7-5 edge.
Concord answered the Bulldogs' rally with some two-out offense in the seventh. With the bases loaded for Frazier, he beat out an infield single to score sophomore outfielder
Ryan Fralin, but CU would not get any closer.
Clark finished with three hits including two doubles, and three RBI. Frazier and Neff both had two hits.
Sophomore pitcher
Cody Dooley (0-1) was tagged with the loss as he scattered five hits and two earned runs in three innings. Junior pitcher
Will Guay started the contest, going five innings with five strikeouts.
Game 2: Wingate 1 – Concord 0
The nightcap of the doubleheader and the series finale turned into a pitcher's duel between Stehlin and Wingate starter Jimmy Doolittle.
The game's lone run scored unearned in the bottom of the second on a steal of home.
For Stehlin, it was his first collegiate start on the mound. The freshman gave up just two hits and allowed just one base runner after the first inning. Stehlin struck out two batters and of his other 16 outs, seven were ground ball outs.
The two CU hits came courtesy of sophomore outfielder
Adam Linkous and senior catcher
Paul Williams.
Doolittle struck out seven batters in 6.1 innings of work.
Concord begins a three-game series at Winston-Salem State 1:00 p.m. next Saturday.
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