BUCKHANNON, W.Va. – The Concord University baseball team split two games on Saturday at West Virginia Wesleyan, losing 9-4 and winning 10-6, in two Mountain East Conference games at Hank Ellis Field.
Game 1: West Virginia Wesleyan 9 – Concord 4
The Mountain Lions saw a 12-game winning streak come to an end in the first game after West Virginia Wesleyan scored five straight runs in the middle innings.
WVWC (8-27, 4-16 MEC) plated three runs in the bottom of the first inning, but Concord (22-13, 18-2 MEC) had an answer in the next half inning as it tied the game with a three-run rally in the second. Sophomore utility
MJ Hunter connected on a two-RBI double with one out to get within 3-2 before scoring on a single by freshman outfielder
Dawson Gragg two batters later.
The Bobcats retook a 6-3 lead in the third inning with three runs. And added two runs in the fourth and another tally in the fifth to take control of the game.
CU got a run in the seventh on an RBI base hit from junior infielder
Michael Dupont.
Junior pitcher
Eddie Blake (5-4) gave up five earned runs in 5.2 innings as he was tagged with the loss.
Gragg and senior catcher
Hunter Steel each had two hits. Hunter was 1-for-3 with two RBI.
Game 2: Concord 10 – West Virginia Wesleyan 6
CU raced out to a 6-0 lead after two innings, but needed a five-run sixth inning to shake off a Wesleyan comeback attempt.
Graduate outfielder
Kyle Keenan drove in the game's first run in the top of the first as the first three batters reached for Concord. Cleanup hitter and junior infielder
Chris Satcher banged a two-run single to left field to extend the advantage to 3-0.
The Maroon and Gray went right back to work with three more runs in the second.
Keenan and Satcher were in the middle of the offense again. Junior infielder
Zack Saryeldin and Gragg combined for back-to-back one-out hits before Keenan drove Saryeldin in with a single. Satcher followed with a two-run double to left field.
However, WVWC chipped away at the deficit and got within 6-5 of Concord through five innings.
Keenan stepped up and started a five-run inning in the sixth. With two outs, Keenan drove in Saryeldin for a much-needed insurance run after Saryeldin had doubled earlier in the frame. After a walk to Satcher, junior infielder
Brendan Brady brought in both runners with a triple to right field. Junior outfielder
D.J. Christian Jr. capped the inning with a base knock to plate Brady.
The Bobcats got a run back in the sixth inning, but Brady and junior pitcher
Andrew Neff combined to shut down WVWC the rest of the way.
In the third and fourth spots in the lineup, Keenan and Satcher combined for five hits and seven RBI. Saryeldin was 3-for-3 with two doubles, three runs scored and two walks. Christian notched two hits.
The quartet of Brady, Hunter, Keenan and Neff worked on the mound for CU. Neff recorded two strikeouts in a scoreless seventh. Brady (3-0) was credited with the win after tossing two innings and allowing one unearned run.
The Mountain Lions stay on the road for a non-conference tilt 3:00 p.m. Wednesday against Emory & Henry. Â
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