Concord Wins Season Opener at Mars Hill in Extra Innings, 8-7

MARS HILL, N.C. – The Concord University baseball team was victorious in its season opener at Mars Hill, defeating the Lions 8-7 in 10 innings at Henderson Field Saturday afternoon.
 
After being held scoreless and down 2-0 through five innings, the Mountain Lions (1-0) got the bats going in the sixth.
 
Junior catcher Kaden Swaim got the frame started with a leadoff single. Then, with one out, senior utility MJ Hunter poked a ball up the middle to place runners on first and second. Junior outfield  Dawson Gragg followed with a double to right field, scoring Swaim and putting Hunter at third. With two outs, sophomore infielder Nick DiSanti drove home both base runners with a hit into right field to claim CU's first lead, 3-2.
 
Senior outfielder Demetri Jamison kept the train rolling into the seventh inning, reaching on a leadoff single before moving to second on a wild pitch. Junior first baseman Matthew DiSanti walked the following at bat and Swaim loaded the bases as he reached on a fielding error.
 
Junior outfielder Korbin Bostic unloaded the bases with a three-RBI double into right field to extend the lead to four, 6-2. Gragg reached on a fielder's choice later in the inning and later stole second. Gragg raced on in a Mars Hill (2-4) error later in the inning to extend the lead to 7-2.

However, the Lions plated five runs across the eighth and ninth frames to force extra innings.

With two outs in the 10th, junior catcher Austin Hear poked a single into right field and advanced to second base on another MHU wild pitch. With Hear in scoring position, Bostic delivered again, doubling to center field and driving in the go-ahead run.

Sophomore pitcher Jake Robinson shut down the Lions in the bottom of the 10th to secure the season-opening win.
N. DiSanti totaled three hits in the game to lead the Mountain Lions. He added two RBI. Jamison, Swaim, Bostic, and Gragg all chipped in two hits each.

Bostic drove in a game-high four runs. Graduate pitcher Joseph Hastings got the start for the Mountain Lions, pitching 4.2 innings while only allowing four hits and two earned runs. Junior pitcher Logan Darrow threw in 2.1 innings in relief, only allowing one hit. Robinson (1-0) picked up the win, striking out four batters in 2.0 innings.
 
CU concludes the season-opening series against Mars Hill in a doubleheader Sunday starting at 11:00 a.m.