Concord Matches Best Conference Start in 13 Years with Sweep of Wheeling, 5-4, 6-2

ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University baseball team used strong pitching and three home runs to sweep Wheeling, 5-4 and 6-2, Saturday afternoon in a Mountain East Conference doubleheader at Anderson Field.

Concord improves to 13-12 this season and has started MEC play at 9-1. Wheeling is 13-10 after Saturday and 4-6 in the MEC.

Game 1: Concord 5 – Wheeling 4
A go-ahead home run by junior infielder Chris Satcher in the bottom of the fifth inning was the difference in the game.

Down 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth after Wheeling had wrestled the lead away from the Mountain Lions with a three-run third inning, Satcher stepped in, after a leadoff single by graduate outfielder Kyle Keenan, and launched his third home run of the season to straight away center field.

Holding the 5-4 edge, senior pitcher Andrew Neff allowed a two-out single in the sixth and another two-out base hit in the seventh, but WU never threatened the lead.
CU answered a Wheeling run in the top of the first with three runs in the bottom of the frame.

With runners at second and third, Satcher came through with a two-run single. After moving to second on a base hit by sophomore infielder Brendan Brady, and to third on a fly ball, Satcher scored on a wild pitch to cap the inning.

Neff (6-1) allowed three runs in the third, but settled for the remainder of the game. He retired Wheeling in order in both the fourth and fifth innings to keep the deficit at 4-3. Neff scattered six hits on three runs while striking out six over six innings.

Satcher paced the offense by going 2-for-4 with four RBI. Brady tallied two hits, and junior infielder Zack Saryeldin reached base three times with a hit and two walks.

Game 2: Concord 6 – Wheeling 2
The Mountain Lions were in control throughout as a stellar pitching performance from sophomore pitcher/infielder Rylee Nicholas and two home runs by graduate outfielder Josh Adkins highlighted the game.

Both teams scored a run in the first inning before back-to-back run-scoring doubles in the second inning with two outs by sophomore utility MJ Hunter and Saryeldin gave Concord a 3-1 lead—an edge it never gave back.

Concord added to its lead with a two-out, two-run home run by Adkins in the fourth after Saryeldin had drawn a walk in front of him. Adkins hit his team-best seventh home run of the season with a solo shot out to center field in the sixth to cap the scoring.

As for Nicholas, he came out of the bullpen to start the second inning and retired the first 13 batters he faced. Wheeling got a run off the Summersville, West Virginia native in the seventh on a sacrifice fly.

Nicholas (2-4) tossed six innings as he allowed just two hits and a run while striking out three and walking none. He needed just 75 pitches to navigate 18 outs.

Adkins was 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI. Junior outfielder D.J. Christian Jr. reached base in all three plate appearances with two hits and a walk.

Off to its best start in conference play since 2010—also a 9-1 start—Concord hosts West Liberty 1:00 p.m. Sunday.