Concord Walks Off in Game Two Versus UVa.-Wise, Seals MEC Tournament Bid

ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University baseball team roared back from a late 6-3 deficit to record a walk-off winner, 8-7, in game two of its doubleheader with UVa.-Wise after falling 6-2 in game one on Senior Day from Anderson Field.

By winning the nightcap, the Mountain Lions (26-21, 18-14 MEC) clinch a berth in the Mountain East Conference, the 21^st straight season CU has appeared in the conference postseason. UVa.-Wise (19-27, 16-16 MEC) is eliminated from tournament consideration.

Game 1: UVa.-Wise 6 – Concord 2
The Cavaliers kept their postseason hopes alive by scoring five runs in the fourth on their way to a win over Concord.

Two of the first three runs in the contest belonged to Concord as junior infielder Trevor Wiersma scored on an RBI groundout in the second after a walk to lead off the frame. After UVa.-Wise tallied a run in the third, junior outfielder Evan Webb quickly broke the deadlock with an RBI single that scored sophomore infielder Nathan Neff who had his own leadoff walk in the inning.

However, UVa.-Wise came back with five runs in its next at-bat to grab a 6-2 lead. The rally was started by a two-run home run.

Junior pitcher Will Guay (3-5) was charged with the loss as he allowed six runs and struck out three in 3.1 innings. Senior pitcher Reece Edwards tossed 3.2 innings of shutout relief as he struck out five and kept the Cavaliers at bay offensively.

Sophomore outfielder Adam Linkous had two hits.

Game 2: Concord 8 – UVa.-Wise 7 (Eight Innings)
The Mountain Lions were forced to comeback twice in their final two at-bats as Linkous' RBI single in the eighth proved to be the difference.

Each team got on the board in the first as Wiersma supplied a two-out, two-RBI single in the first to push Concord out front early, 3-2.

After scoreless frames in the second and third, UVa.-Wise struck for three runs on four hits in the fourth and tacked an additional score in the fifth to go up 6-3 through 4.5 innings. Senior catcher Paul Williams narrowed the deficit in the bottom of the fifth by following Linkous' one-out single with a two-run home run down the left field line—his third home run of the season.

In the sixth, CU was able to get the tying run into scoring position as senior outfielder Oscar Garcia shot a double down the right field line with two outs, but Concord went to the seventh still down 6-5.

Linkous slapped the first pitch he saw in the seventh to right field and Webb grinded out a two-out walk after a lengthy at-bat to push Linkous—the tying run—to second base. On the next pitch after the base on ball, Wiersma sent a single into center field that plated Linkous to tie the game, 6-6.

The Mountain Lions nearly walked off in the seventh, but UVa.-Wise's Dave Thomas came hustling in on a sinking line drive in left field to send the game to eighth.

Not deterred by CU's rally, the Cavaliers scratched across a run in the eighth, but sophomore pitcher Cody Dooley fought off further damage by stranding runners on second and third with a strikeout to end the top of the inning.

Garcia reached on an error with one out, but it appeared UVa.-Wise was going to escape with the win after a fly ball to left field put CU within one out of its season ending. But, junior infielder Adrian Peralta ripped a hit past the shortstop into center field where an error occurred and allowed pinch runner, sophomore outfielder Conner Boothe, to score from first base and put Peralta at second as the winning run.

The 1-0 pitch from UVa.-Wise reliever Matt Wilkinson was shot back through the box by Linkous plating Peralta to lift Concord to an 8-7 win.

Linkous recorded a career-best four hits in the game with three runs scored and two RBI. Wiersma had two hits and two RBI while Williams added three RBI.

Dooley (4-2) picked up the win in relief as he allowed one run in three innings. Collectively, Dooley and sophomore pitcher Bryson Booher held the Cavaliers to two runs over the final five innings out of the bullpens.

Freshman utility Anthony Stehlin allowed four runs and struck out two as the CU starter.

The Mountain Lions will know late Sunday night or early Monday morning who they will play and what time at the MEC Tournament Thursday at Epling Stadium in Beckley, West Virginia.