ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University baseball team completed a doubleheader sweep of Fairmont State Saturday afternoon in Mountain East Conference action at Anderson Field.
Game 1: Concord 6 – Fairmont State 4 (Eight Innings)
Sophomore outfielder
Richard Ortiz's walk-off grand slam was the difference in the game as CU (2-11, 2-8 MEC) picked up its first win of the year.
Fairmont State (5-13, 3-7 MEC) had plated two runs in the first extra-innings frame to take a 4-2 advantage.
Junior infielder
Anthony Stehlin started the eighth-inning rally with a single before sophomore infielder
Juan Fortique collected a base hit as a pinch hitter. An FSU error allowed freshman infielder
Michael Dupont to reach to load the bases for Ortiz. The Woodbridge, Virginia native sent a 1-1 pitch over the left centerfield fence for the walk-off grand slam.
The grand slam was the first for a CU player since
Evan Webb at Ohio Valley April 23, 2019.
Concord scored the first run of the game with a first-inning sacrifice fly, but needed a Fairmont State error in the sixth inning to tie the game at 2-2.
Senior pitcher
Trent Abernathy received a no decision in the contest, but was stellar on the mound Saturday afternoon. Abernathy tied his career high with 12 strikeouts which also tied a single-game seven-inning program record for most strikeouts. The Harrisonburg, Virginia native scattered six hits and three runs (two earned) in seven innings.
Stehlin (1-0) was the pitcher of record as he allowed an unearned run in the eighth.
Freshman infielder
Zack Saryeldin notched two of the seven Concord hits while Ortiz drove in four of the six runs.
Game 2: Concord 12 – Fairmont State 3
The Mountain Lions scored the final nine runs of the game to finish off the sweep of FSU.
Once again, CU scored first with two runs in the first inning. Fairmont State answered with two runs in the top of the second, and also tied the game at 3-3 after its at-bat in the top of the fourth.
From there, the Concord bats kept producing runs with the Fighting Falcons unable to keep pace.
Stehlin singled home a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to create a 5-3 edge for the Mountain Lions.
During the next frame, CU plated five runs with Stehlin right in the middle of the action again. After Ortiz led off the inning with a home run that just curled inside the right field foul pole, the bases were loaded for Stehlin who cracked a two-run double down the left field line. With the bases reloaded two batters later for Fortique, he bounced a single back through the middle that scored two more runs.
The Mountain Lions added two additional runs in the bottom of the sixth inning for the final margin of victory.
Stehlin finished with three hits and five RBI—a sixth-inning infield single got Stehlin his fifth RBI. The Woodbridge, Virginia native is the first player since Webb April 23, 2019 to have a five-RBI contest.
Saryeldin had two more hits at the top of the order while Ortiz added a pair of hits in the nightcap.
Senior pitcher
Spencer Hoyt (1-3) went 6.0 innings as he surrendered three runs (two earned) on four hits and notched three strikeouts. The Moneta, Virginia native finished his day by retiring the last eight batters he faced.
Concord welcomes Frostburg State to Anderson Field 1:00 p.m. Sunday for an Easter doubleheader.
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