ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University baseball team lost two games to West Virginia State, 5-2 and 15-9, in Mountain East Conference play Saturday afternoon at Anderson Field.
Game 1: West Virginia State 5 – Concord 2
Concord's seventh-inning rally fell just short as the Yellow Jackets (14-14, 10-4 MEC) took game one.
West Virginia State jumped out early with three runs and in the first and added a fourth run in the fourth inning. Senior infielder
Brett Simmons bounced a single through the right side in the bottom half to trim the deficit as he brought in freshman outfielder
Josh Adkins.
WVSU jumped back up by four runs in the top of the seventh before CU (16-9, 7-7 MEC) mounted a rally. Senior outfielder
Evan Webb doubled to begin the inning before a single moved him to third. Another single, this time a run-scoring hit, by senior catcher
Jordan Clark brought in Webb.
Now with the bases loaded and two outs, Simmons sent a sharp line drive to the outfield, but right at the WVSU center fielder to end the game.
Adkins had two hits for CU that both went for doubles.
Senior pitcher
Will Guay (2-3) tossed all seven inning as he allowed five runs and struck out five.
Game 2: West Virginia State 15 – Concord 9
The Yellow Jackets scored six runs in the top of the seventh to untie a 9-9 contest on their way to a second win Saturday.
The game featured three ties before West Virginia State's six-run seventh inning.
Down 2-0 in the fourth, Clark singled home Webb before rounding the bases himself on an opposite field triple by junior outfielder
Ryan Fralin.
WVSU came back with four runs in the top of the fifth, but Concord had a response as sophomore infielder
Anthony Stehlin's run-scoring hit was followed by RBI doubles from Webb and junior infielder
Nathan Neff to tie the game at 6-6.
In the top of the sixth, West Virginia State plated three runs, but once again CU answered as Simmons ripped a double down the left-field line to score two of the three runs in the inning. It appeared the Mountain Lions may take their first lead of the day—in either game. However, with the bases loaded and one out, the Yellow Jackets turned a double play as second baseman Andrew Stone made a fine diving grab on a ground ball bee lined for the outfield grass before shoveling the ball to second for the first out. And the relay to first was in time to halt the Concord rally.
The momentum for West Virginia State carried over to the seventh.
Simmons, Stehlin and Webb all had two hits and two RBI in the setback. As a team, CU had five doubles with two coming off the Webb's bat.
Junior outfielder
Adam Linkous (1-1) was charged with the loss in relief as he pitched 1.1 innings. Senior pitcher
Troy Beckner struck out three batters and gave up six runs in 4.1 innings in the start.
Â
Â
