ATHENS, W.Va. - The Concord University baseball team split a doubleheader against Shepherd Saturday afternoon in non-conference action at Anderson Field.
Concord (4-6) lost the first game 14-6, but bounced back for an 11-4 win. By winning two out of three games, the Mountain Lions won their first series over Shepherd (6-4) since 2010.
Game 1: Shepherd 14 - Concord 6
The Rams ripped off seven straight runs towards the end of the game as CU was unable to keep pace.
Trailing 1-0 after a half inning, Concord battled right back with senior outfielder
Korbin Bostic continuing his hot form, lacing a single through the right side to tie up the ball game in the bottom of the frame. Senior outfielder
Dawson Gragg followed suit with a single into right field, giving CU a 2-1 lead after one inning.
SU went up 3-2 in the top of the second before Concord answered in the bottom half once again on a run-scoring single by junior infielder
Nick DiSanti.
The game went back-and-forth as SU took a 6-4 lead after four innings. Both teams tallied a score in the fifth inning with CU's coming on a bases-loaded hit by pitch to senior infielder
Matthew DiSanti. Trailing 7-5, the Mountain Lions were unable to tie or take the lead despite the bases being full.
Shepherd broke the game open with a five-run sixth innings as the Rams went on to by eight runs.
N. DiSanti went 1-for-1 with two RBI. Senior infielder
Tyson Burke racked up a pair of hits to lead Concord.
Freshman starting pitcher
Jonah Adams (0-2) was charged with the loss. Adams went four innings, allowing five earned runs and punching out a pair of batters.
Game 2: Concord 11 - Shepherd 4
Concord broke open a 3-1 game with eight runs in the fourth.
Shepherd got a run in the first inning and maintained the lead into the bottom of the third.
M. DiSanti singled up the middle and senior catcher
Kaden Swaim drew a walk to put two aboard for Concord with one out. N. DiSanti kept the line moving by ripping a double down the line to score his brother and send Swaim to third.
Then, Gragg stepped up to the dish and singled through the right side of the infield to plate both runners as Concord took a 3-1 lead.
The Mountain Lion offense sent 11 hitters to the plate in the bottom of the fourth as the Mountain Lions exploded for eight runs. Redshirt sophomore outfielder
Atticus Goodson scorched a ball to the right center gap for an RBI triple to start the scoring. M. DiSanti scored him immediately after with a first-pitch single to right field. Bostic walked in a run with the bases loaded. And then Gragg had the biggest swing of the inning, a bases-clearing, three-run double Senior infielder
Sam Stowe scored Gragg with a double to left field before touching home plate on a wild pitch.
Shepherd scored three times in the top of the fifth to pull within 11-4.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, the game was called due to a lack of sunlight with Concord securing the victory and series win.
Gragg led the offense by going 2-for-3 with a double and five RBI. M. DiSanti went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs. N. DiSanti finished 2-for-2 with an RBI, two runs and a walk. Goodson and Stowe each finished 1-for-2 with an RBI.
Robinson (1-1) earned his first victory of the year, tossing all five innings in the shortened game. He allowed five hits and four runs (two earned), striking out four batters.
The Mountain Lions host Kutztown for a three-game series this weekend. Saturday will consist of a doubleheader starting at 12:00 p.m. and the second game following at 2:30 p.m. Game three will be on Sunday at 12:00 p.m.
