INSTITUTE, W.Va. – The Concord University baseball team lost two games to West Virginia State Friday afternoon in a Mountain East Conference doubleheader at Cal Bailey Field.
The Mountain Lions fell 8-2 and 4-3 as CU now has a record of 22-17 overall and are 13-7 in conference play. West Virginia State improves to 17-19 overall and is now 9-11 against MEC foes.
Game 1: West Virginia State 8 – Concord 2
CU scored the first two runs in the contest, but was unable to keep pace with the Yellow Jackets.
It appeared that Concord would go quietly in the first, but back-to-back walks with two outs allowed senior infielder
Tyson Burke to deliver a two-run single to center field as the Mountain Lions jumped out to a 2-0 advantage.
WVSU came right back, though, with a three-run bottom half. And the Yellow Jackets took control of the game in the bottom of the second with five runs that was fueled by three Concord errors.
In an attempt to cut into the six-run deficit, the Maroon and Gray put two runners on in each of the fourth and fifth innings, but was unable to reduce the margin.
Burke was 1-for-3 with two RBI. Senior utility
MJ Hunter was 1-for-2 with a walk.
Junior pitcher
Logan Darrow (4-3) was the pitcher of record for the Mountain Lions as he tossed two innings, but was only charged with three earned runs.
Game 2: West Virginia State 4 – Concord 3
The Mountain Lions led throughout, however, it was WVSU that scored the final four runs of the game.
After two scoreless frames to start the contest, CU broke the deadlock with two runs in the top of the third inning. A leadoff single from sophomore infielder
Nick DiSanti was followed by a double from junior catcher
Kaden Swaim. The next batter, junior infielder
Matthew DiSanti, recorded a sacrifice fly to bring in N. DiSanti.
A one-out single from junior catcher
Austin Hear allowed Swaim to score, doubling the CU advantage.
Graduate pitcher
Zach Powell was in control of the game as he tossed five shutout innings, only allowing four hits. The Mountain Lions added another run for Powell as Swaim notched an RBI single in the top of the fifth.
However, West Virginia State struck for three runs in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game.
A walk to Hear and an infield single by Hunter pushed the go-ahead run into scoring position in the top of the seventh with two outs, but WVSU escaped the jam.
And the Yellow Jackets came through with a two-out solo home run in the bottom of the seventh.
The first three batters for Concord, N. DiSanti, Swaim and M. DiSanti, were a combined 6-for-11. Senior infielder
Brendan Brady went 1-for-2 with a double, a walk and a run scored.
Powell (5-5) allowed four earned runs over 6.2 innings and struck out five as he was charged with the loss.
Concord and West Virginia State play games three and four of the weekend series 1:00 p.m. Saturday.
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