MARS HILL, N.C. – The Concord University baseball team rallied from a 13-run deficit in game one to split a doubleheader against Mars Hill in non-conference action Sunday at Henderson Field.
Concord wins the weekend series and is 2-1 this year. MHU ends the weekend at 3-5.
Game 1: Concord 18 – Mars Hill 16 (Nine Innings)
The Mountain Lions scored 18 of the final 21 runs in the game as it stormed back from a 13-0, first-inning deficit.
After Mars Hill scored 13 times in its first at-bat that included a grand slam, Concord got to work quickly in reducing the deficit. Five runs came across in the top of the second, including two scoring on an RBI double from senior outfielder
D.J. Christian Jr.
MHU had an answer in the bottom of the second with two runs, and the deficit was 15-6 before Concord exploded in the fourth inning for six runs. Four runs in the rally were accounted for by junior outfielders
Dawson Gragg and
Korbin Bostic. Two runs came in as Bostic pulled a double down the right field line. Two batters later, Gragg stung a single up the middle to score a pair.
With the margin now within reach at 16-13, the Mountain Lions tied the game in the top of the eighth.
Four consecutive walks brought in the first run as senior utility
MJ Hunter drew the last of the base on balls. With the bases still loaded, senior infielder
Brendan Brady reached on an infielder single to plate junior catcher
Kaden Swaim. And the scoring was capped by a bases-loaded walk to sophomore infielder
Nick DiSanti.
With the game still tied at 16-16 into the ninth, Concord had two of the first three batters of the frame reach. With Swaim and junior infielder
Matthew DiSanti both in scoring position after a wild pitch, Hunter poked a single into center field to push CU in front for the first time at 18-16.
Junior pitcher
Kerry Collins (1-0) pitched a 1-2-3- bottom of the ninth to seal the win.
Concord received 13 of its 18 RBI in the game from the bottom half of the order. Hunter (fifth in the order), Brady (seventh) and Christian (ninth) all had three RBI. Gragg (sixth) and N. DiSanti (eighth) both had two RBI. Swaim was 3-for-4 with two RBI, two runs scored and two walks. Brady and N. DiSanti also had three hits.
Collins worked two scoreless innings to secure the win in relief. Freshman pitcher
Braylen Baker and sophomore outfielder/pitcher
Demario Faison were also crucial as they combined to work five innings only allowing two hits and a run in the middle portion of the game.
Game 2: Mars Hill 6 – Concord 0 (Seven Innings)
Concord's bats were cooled off in game two as MHU scored four runs in the first to take the early lead.
Before falling behind in the bottom of the first, CU had a chance to strike in its first at-bat as it recorded back-to-back singles with one out. And a leadoff single by Christian in the third was stranded in scoring position.
But after piling up 26 runs in the first two games of the series, the Mountain Lions were able to solve Mars Hill pitcher Brennan Williams.
Five different players had a hit in the series finale with N. DiSanti reaching base twice, a single and a walk.
Graduate pitcher
Zach Powell (0-1) was tagged with the loss. He threw 5.0 innings as he gave up six runs and struck out seven.
The Mountain Lions open up the home portion of their schedule 12:00 p.m. Saturday with a doubleheader versus Pitt-Johnson at Anderson Field.
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