WINGATE, N.C. – The Concord University baseball team split a doubleheader with Wingate Saturday afternoon at Ron Christopher Stadium as WU took the first game 8-0 before Concord battled back to win the second game, 5-1.
Both teams are 1-1 after the season-opening twinbill.
Game 1: Wingate 8 – Concord 0 (Nine Innings)
An early pitching dual broke out between senior Trent Abernahty and Wingate's Hunter Dula as both carried no-hitters into the fifth inning, but the Bulldogs would go on to plate five runs in the fifth.
Abernathy faced the minimum in the first and third innings and struck out six of the first 10 batters he faced in the game, keeping Wingate from any scoring threat. However, a leadoff single in the bottom of the fifth broke up Abernahty's no-hitter and led to a five-run frame.
Wingate added three more runs in the bottom of the seventh to secure a game one victory.
WU's Dula limited the Mountain Lions to one hit in the contest as senior infielder
Nathan Neff had CU's only hit in the top of the fifth.
Abernathy (0-1) gave up five runs over five innings as he struck out eight Bulldogs, one shy of his career high.
Game 2: Concord 5 – Wingate 1 (Seven Innings)
The Mountain Lions secured their first-ever program win over Wingate with four runs in the second inning on their way to a four-run victory. CU had been 0-11 all-time against WU.
Three of the first four batters of the second reached base for Concord, including a leadoff single from Neff, to set up a bases-loaded situation for junior infielder
Anthony Stehlin. The Woodbridge, Virginia native delivered a two-run double into the right-center field gap that plated Neff and sophomore outfielder
Josh Adkins.
With runners at second and third, senior outfielder
Ryan Fralin came up with an RBI groundout, and later in the inning Stehlin came around to score on a wild pitch to push CU up 4-0.
Concord added another run in the third inning as redshirt freshman outfielder
Richard Ortiz pulled a home run out to left field. The five-run cushion was more than enough for senior pitcher
Bryson Booher (1-0).
The Fort Chiswell, Virginia native gave up an earned run in the bottom of third, but stymied the Bulldogs overall as he allowed four hits and struck out three in the win.
Redshirt freshman pitcher
Tucker Perry and senior outfielder
Adam Linkous combined to pitch two scoreless inning of relief to preserve the win for Booher and the Mountain Lions.
Stehlin had half of Concord's six hits and added two RBI. Along with Ortiz, Adkins and Neff each had one hit.
Concord and Wingate finish up the three-game weekend series 1:00 p.m. Sunday.
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