INSTITUTE, W.Va. – The Concord University baseball team defeated West Virginia State, 3-2 and 6-2, Friday afternoon to win the first two games of a four-game Mountain East Conference series at Cal Bailey Field.
The Mountain Lions improve to 24-14 overall and 20-2 in the MEC. West Virginia State is now 21-16 this season and 16-6 versus conference foes.
Game 1: Concord 3 – West Virginia State 2
Junior pitcher
Andrew Neff picked up his ninth win of the season as the Mountain Lions clipped West Virginia State in the first game.
CU ran out to a 3-0 lead after 2.5 innings as senior catcher
Hunter Steel bagged the first RBI of the game with a bases-loaded single that brought in junior infielder
Chris Satcher in the second inning. Satcher was right in the middle of the offense in the third inning.
The West Palm Beach, Florida native hit his sixth home run of the season, and third in the last four games with a two-run shot to left center field after graduate outfielder
Kyle Keenan had walked to start the third.
WVSU answered with a two-run bottom of the third inning as it strung three straight hits together to get within 3-2, but it was as close as the Yellow Jackets would get the rest of the way.
Neff (9-1) retired West Virginia State in order in three of his six innings pitched as he struck out six and scattered five hits. A total of four base runners got to second base off Neff, and only one after the third inning.
Six different Mountain Lions accounted for hits in game one. Satcher reached base three times in the game, including a leadoff walk in the second inning before scoring.
Senior pitcher
Nick Sanso pitched a scoreless first inning with a strikeout before giving way to Neff.
Game 2: Concord 6 – West Virginia State 2
A four-run seventh inning by Concord was the difference in the game.
Tied at 2-2 since a two-run inning by the Mountain Lions in the top of the fifth, Concord had four straight batters reach with out in the seventh.
A walk to junior infielder
Daniel Layne was preceded by a single through the left side by Steel. Sophomore utility
MJ Hunter gave Concord its first lead of the game with a double into left field as Layne came around to score. Junior infielder
Zack Saryeldin came up behind Hunter and ripped his own double to left field to plate a pair of runs.
Keenan completed the rally with a two-out single to score Saryeldin.
WVSU was inches away from taking a 4-2 edge in the bottom of the sixth, but junior outfielder
D.J. Christian Jr. took away a two-run home run with two outs in the inning. The defensive momentum carried over to the seventh offensively.
Concord was retired 13 straight times to start the game before two walks and a single to load the bases for Steel in the fifth. Two runners touched home plate on a single into left field by the CU catcher.
Sophomore pitcher/infielder
Rylee Nicholas (5-4) buckled down after West Virginia State scored a run in each the second and third innings. Nicholas faced just two over the minimum in the final four innings. Overall, Nicholas tossed six innings, striking out four and allowing two runs on six hits.
Steel and Hunter, batting eighth and ninth, were both 2-for-3 with a run score and a RBI. Saryeldin recorded two RBI.
Concord and West Virginia State play the third and fourth games of the series 1:00 p.m. Sunday.
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