ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University baseball team opened Mountain East Conference play with a sweep of Frostburg State, 9-5, 9-7, Saturday afternoon at Anderson Field.
Concord improves to 6-11 this season while Frostburg State falls to 7-8.
Game 1: Concord 9 – Frostburg State 5
The bats broke out early for the Mountain Lions as eight of their nine runs came in the first inning.
Trailing 3-0 heading to the bottom of the first, CU didn't flinch after Frostburg State scored three runs on two hits to start the game.
Four of the five first batters reached on walks to for Concord. A fielder's choice allowed graduate outfielder
Josh Adkins score, as he had the only hit to that point in the game—a bunt single. Two batters later, senior catcher
Hunter Steel broke a 3-3 tie with a two-run single. Sophomore infielder/pitcher
MJ Hunter followed with an RBI, and junior infielder
Zack Saryeldin came up with a two-run double to the right center gap to bring in Hunter and Steel.
FSU struck for two runs in the top of the second on a two-run home run with two outs, but junior pitcher
Andrew Neff silenced the Bobcats the rest of the way. He stranded a pair of runners in scoring position in the fourth, and ended the game by leaving two more runners on base.
Neff (3-1) tossed seven innings as he came out of the bullpen in the first inning. He struck out six and scattered seven hits and allowed two earned runs.
Concord added a run in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly.
Steel, in the eighth spot, was 3-for-3 with two RBI. Saryeldin drove in two runs. And junior infielder
Daniel Layne scored twice.
Game 2: Concord 9 – Frostburg State 7
Two more big innings propelled Concord to a sweep of the defending MEC North Champs.
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the third, the Maroon and Gray exploded for five runs in the frame—all with two outs. Adkins and junior infielder
Chris Satcher began the rally with back-to-back home runs on back-to-back pitches.
Graduate outfielder
Kyle Keenan followed with an infield single and stolen base that allowed him to score on junior outfielder
D.J. Christian's base hit to right field. A double from sophomore infielder
Brendan Brady and subsequent error by FSU brought Christian in before Brady raced in on a wild pitch.
Frostburg State answered with two runs in the fourth, another two-out, two-run home run.
However, the Mountain Lions kept the Bobcats at arm's length, adding a run in the fifth to restore a three-run edge.
After getting within 6-4, FSU watched another CU rally in the sixth. Christian added his second RBI of the game to score Adkins before he scampered home on a wild pitch. Freshman outfielder
Dawson Gragg came through with a pinch-hit single in the three-run rally.
The Bobcats weren't done as they scored three times in top of the seventh, but junior pitcher
Eddie Blake ended the game with a strikeout.
Adkins, Brady and Christian all had three hits as part of a 13-hit outburst for Concord. Christian had his first triple of the season and added two RBI. Satcher was 2-for-3 with his first home run of the year.
Sophomore infielder/pitcher
Rylee Nicholas (1-3) tossed four innings of relief as he gave up five runs, but also struck out five.
Concord welcomes Fairmont State to Anderson Field 1:00 p.m. Monday for a doubleheader.
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