ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University baseball team ran its winning streak to seven games with two victories over Davis & Elkins, 11-4 and 8-2, Sunday afternoon in a Mountain East Conference doubleheader at Anderson Field.
Game 1: Concord 11 – Davis & Elkins 4
The Mountain Lions (10-16, 9-13 MEC) scored four runs in the first inning and never looked back to claim a game-one win.
Three of the first four batters of the game reached for CU including an RBI single from sophomore outfielder
Richard Ortiz. With two on and two out, freshman catcher
Nick Funk drove a two-run double to right field. Sophomore infielder
Juan Fortique completed the rally with a run-scoring single.
Davis & Elkins (6-16, 6-16 MEC) answered with a run in the second, but the Concord bats broke the game open in the fourth inning with four more runs.
Before the four-run fourth, Funk blasted a one-out solo home run in the third. CU manufactured the runs in the fourth by stealing two bases, scoring two runs on wild pitches and getting RBI singles from freshman infielder
Michael Dupont and junior infielder
Anthony Stehlin.
After the Senators came up with two runs in the fifth, Concord pieced together another rally to plate two runs in the bottom. The first four batters of the frame got on, allowing freshman infielder
Zack Saryeldin and junior infielder
Evan Antonellis to record RBI.
Eight of the nine Concord hitters had at least one hit. Stehlin was a perfect 4-for-4 with three stolen bases. Funk added another three hits in three at-bats to go with three RBI. Antonellis and Saryeldin each had two hits.
With plenty of run support, senior pitcher
Trent Abernathy (2-3) tossed a completed game, allowing three earned runs and striking out eight.
Game 2: Concord 8 – Davis & Elkins 2
The Mountain Lions raced out to a 6-1 lead through two innings on their way to a doubleheader sweep.
Ortiz stepped up to the plate in the first inning with the bases loaded—after two singles and a walk—and immediately pushed CU ahead 2-0 with a single.
Ortiz picked up his third RBI in the game as he brought in a run in the second. Sophomore outfielder
Josh Adkins, Antonellis and Fortique also had RBI in the four-run frame.
Maintaining a comfortable 6-2 margin in the sixth inning, the Mountain Lions plated two runs on sacrifice flies that brought in Antonellis and Ortiz.
In just his fourth start at Concord, freshman pitcher
Andrew Neff tossed a three-hitter as he allowed two runs (one earned) while striking out a career-best nine. Sunday was Neff's first career complete game.
Adkins, Ortiz and Saryeldin all had two hits as Adkins had CU's only extra-base hit—a sixth-inning double.
Concord and Davis & Elkins play two more games beginning 1:00 p.m. Monday at Anderson Field.
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