ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University baseball team went 1-1 against Charleston Friday afternoon in a pair of Mountain East Conference games at Anderson Field.
The Mountain Lions won game one 9-3 before a frantic comeback fell short in game with UC winning 13-12. Concord is now 23-21 overall and 14-10 in the MEC. The Golden Eagles stay at .500 with a mark of 21-21 and are 16-8 in the conference.
Game 1: Concord 9 – Charleston 3
Two big innings at the plate waere coupled with a strong pitching performance by graduate pitcher
Zach Powell.
UC scored two runs on a home run off Powell in the first inning, but the Princeton, West Virginia native settled in as he retired 13 of the next 15 batters he faced before a two-out single in the fifth inning.
It took the Mountain Lion offense until the bottom of the fourth to get on the board, but CU gave Powell plenty of run support. After loading the bases with one out, senior infielder
Tyson Burke tied the game with a two-run single. Senior outfielder
Demetri Jamison followed with an RBI single that scored two runs after a Charleston error.
The scoring continued two batters later on a run-scoring hit by sophomore infielder
Nick DiSanti. The sixth run came in on a groundout.
A leadoff home run by Charleston in the sixth did not bother Powell as he struck out back-to-back batters to restore momentum. Then, the Mountain Lions tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the sixth—and did so without a hit.
A leadoff walk was followed by an error. Jamison swiped third and scored on a throwing error for Concord's seventh run. Later in the inning with the bases loaded and two outs, a miscue on a groundball brought in senior outfielder
D.J. Christian Jr. and DiSanti to take the score to 9-3.
Powell capped his day with a game-ending double play. Powell improved to 6-6 on the mound as he struck out a season-best eight in his complete game. He scattered seven hits and walked one.
Jamison was 2-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored. Burke drove in two runs. DiSanti collected two hits, and junior catcher
Austin Hear was 2-for-3.
Game 2: Charleston 13 – Concord 12 (Eight Innings)
Concord scored 11 combined runs in the sixth and seventh innings to erase deficits of 9-1 and 12-7, but it was UC that prevailed 13-12.
Down 9-1 entering the sixth, CU drew five walks and was hit by pitches twice as it scored six runs without recording a hit. Christian drew the first two of bases-loaded walks in the inning before alternating hit by pitches and walks got the Mountain Lions within 9-5. DiSanti raced home on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to 9-6 before junior infielder
Matthew DiSanti scored on a wild pitch during the next at-bat.
Charleston responded with three runs in the top of the seventh, but the Mountain Lions rallied in the bottom half. Christian drew another bases-loaded walk before N. DiSanti tallied an RBI single. Consecutive bases-loaded walks to M. DiSanti and junior catcher
Kaden Swaim got the Mountain Lions within 12-11. Now with two outs in the inning, N. DiSanti hustled home on a wild pitch to tie the game.
The Golden Eagles, though, were able to scratch across a run in the top of the eighth. And CU was retired in order in the bottom of the inning.
Concord scored 12 runs despite only recording five hits. The Mountain Lions tied the single-game program record by drawing 14 walks. Swaim was 1-for-2 with two walks and three RBI. M. DiSanti was on base four times (two hits, two walks) to go with two RBI. N. DiSanti recorded two RBI. And Christian did the same.
Senior pitcher
Connor Brizendine (0-1) was the pitcher of record as he tossed an inning, allowing a run on one hit.
Concord and Charleston pick the four-game series back up 1:00 p.m. Sunday.
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