BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Junior outfielder
Ryan Fralin's single in the top of the ninth pushed the Concord University baseball team ahead of Bluefield State 14-13 as CU went on to win by the same score Tuesday night in a non-conference game at Bowen Field.
The Mountain Lions (29-15) and BSC (14-21) traded the lead four times and were tied on two other occasions in the game before Fralin's hit in the ninth.
Concord jumped out 7-0 through three at-bats that included a two-RBI single from junior catcher
Jakob Divers in the first inning and run scoring doubles from freshman catcher
Chance Davis and senior infielder
Brett Simmons during a three-run third inning.
Bluefield State stormed back to score seven unanswered runs and tie the game at 7-7 through five innings. After CU went ahead 8-7 on Fralin's sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth, the Blues briefly took control of the game as they plated four runs in the bottom of the inning to lead 11-8. The Mountain Lions were unfazed, however, as Simmons clocked a solo home run in the seventh and junior outfielder
Adam Linkous' two-run single allowed Concord to regain a 12-11 edge later in the inning.
BSC once again led for a short stanza as it rallied to score two runs in the bottom of the seventh. After two quick outs in the top of the eighth, Simmons reached first by getting hit with a pitch and advanced to second on a wild pitch before senior outfielder
Evan Webb smacked a two-out single back through the middle to tie the game, 13-13.
Freshman pitcher
Sidney Willis would strand two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the eighth to keep the game tied. With one out in the ninth, Linkous ripped a triple past the center fielder and scored on the first pitch Fralin saw during the next at-bat to give CU the advantage.
Willis improved to 2-3 on the season as he tossed a 1-2-3 ninth that included two strikeouts. The Tazewell, Virginia native struck out four total in his two innings of relief.
Concord had five different players finish with multi-hit including four hitters with three base knocks. The 2-4 hitters of Simmons, Webb and senior catcher
Jordan Clark combined to go 9-for-16 while Linkous also added three hits. Both hits for Davis went for extra bases as he notched two doubles.
CU welcomes UVa.-Wise to Andeson Field for Senior Day 1:00 p.m. Friday.
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