MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The Concord University baseball team split a road doubleheader with Fairmont State at Mylan Park's Dale Miller Field Sunday afternoon in Mountain East Conference action.
The Mountain Lions took game one, 7-6, in eight innings before losing the nightcap, 4-1. CU is now 8-8 on the year and 1-3 in the MEC. Fairmont State moves to 2-12 overall and 1-3 in the conference.
Game 1: Concord 7 – Fairmont State 6 (Eight Innings)
CU scored five of the game's final six runs as it stormed back from a 5-2 deficit in the seventh inning.
Facing the three-run margin, and down to its final three outs, Concord had the first two runners reach via a single from junior utility
MJ Hunter and a Fairmont State error. Hunter scored on the same play as the error to draw within 5-3. Two batters later, an infield single by fifth-year senior infielder
Michael Dupont plated fellow fifth-year senior infielder
Zack Saryeldin to reduce the margin to 5-4.
Still with no outs in the inning, FSU did turn a double play, but senior infielder
Daniel Layne, the tying run, scored.
Fairmont State threatened in the bottom of the seventh as it loaded the bases with one out. However, junior pitcher
Connor Brizendine recorded back-to-back strikeouts, one looking and one swinging, to send the game to extra innings.
A double and a stolen base by junior outfielder
Demetri Jamison to lead off the top of the eight put the go-ahead run at third base. And a sacrifice bunt brought Jamison in. With runners on first and second after consecutive walks, senior infielder
Daniel Layne drove in freshman catcher
Marshall Basham to extend the lead, 7-5.
Back-to-back batters reached for the Fighting Falcons to start the bottom of the eighth, and a double steal pushed the tying run into scoring position. But, Hunter was able to escape the jam by only giving up a sacrifice fly as CU hung on for the win.
The Mountain Lions gave up three runs in the bottom of the first, and still trailed 4-1 after three innings.
Layne tallied two RBI. Jamison had two hits.
Hunter went 2-for-5 at the top of the order and recorded his second save of the season. Brizendine (2-2) picked up the win in relief by tossing the seventh. Graduate pitcher
Eddie Blake covered the first six innings as he allowed four earned runs and struck out six.
Game 2: Fairmont State 4 – Concord 1
The Mountain Lions were unable to ride the momentum of the dramatic game one win in the second contest as it lost by three runs.
FSU struck first in game one with an RBI groundout in the second inning. The Mountain Lions, though, were quick to answer as they got a run in the third inning.
A leadoff single by junior infielder
Brendan Brady set up the scoring. He was moved over on a one-out single by Hunter. The next batter, Saryeldin, plated Brady with a base hit to left field.
The scoring continued in the bottom of the third as Fairmont State scored three runs on three hits to go up 4-1.
The Mountain Lions were unable to get the tying run to the plate over their final four at-bats.
Freshman pitcher
Jake Robinson (0-2) allowed three earned runs on four hits over five innings. He struck out three.
Saryeldin paced the offense by going 2-for-3 with an RBI and stolen base.
CU hosts Notre Dame 1:00 p.m. Saturday in a conference doubleheader.
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