CHARLOTTE – The Concord University baseball team split a doubleheader against Ferrum in non-conference action Sunday afternoon at Tuckaseegee Dream Field.
Concord (1-3) needed extra innings to win game one, 2-1. Ferrum (1-1) took game two by a run, 3-2.
Game 1: Concord 2 – Ferrum 1 (12 Innings)
A sacrifice fly by junior infielder
Nick DiSanti in the bottom of the 12
th was the difference in the game as the Mountain Lions scratched out a win over Ferrum.
Senior infielder
Matthew DiSanti led off the inning with CU's first triple of a season—a shot out to right center field. After senior catcher
Austin Hear drew a walk, N. DiSanti lifted a ball into left field that was deep enough to score his brother for the walk-off win.
Both pitching staffs were in command of the game from the onset. Concord loaded the bases in the first inning, but was only able to get one run in as M. DiSanti scored on a wild pitch.
On the mound for CU, sophomore pitcher
Kaden Varela-Payne struck out seven and only faced two over the minimum in his first five innings of work. A leadoff single came around to score for the Panthers on a sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth.
The Mountain Lions got two runners aboard in the sixth, but were unable to retake the lead.
In extra innings, Concord had the leadoff batter on base in the eighth, 10
th and 11
th innings.
Ferrum nearly grabbed the lead in the top of the 11
th inning as FC loaded the bases with one out. However, senior infielder
Tyson Burke snared a ball and fired home from third base to get the second out, and sophomore outfielder
Atticus Goodson flagged down a line drive in the left center gap to keep the game square at 1-1.
M. DiSanti notched three of Concord's three hits, including his first career triple.
Varela-Payne did not factor in the decision as he struck out eight over seven innings. He gave up four hits and did not walk a batter.
Junior pitcher
Ryder Wagenknecht (1-0) pitched a scoreless 12
th inning to pick up the win. Senior pitcher
Kerry Collins racked up five strikeouts in four innings of relief of Varela-Payne.
Game 2: Ferrum 3 – Concord 2
Ferrum scored the go-ahead run in the top of the sixth, and held off a couple late Concord rallies.
The Panthers jumped up 1-0 in the top of the first, but CU immediately answered in the bottom of the inning. After a two-out single by N. DiSanti, senior infielder
Sam Stowe stepped up and launched a two-run home run out to right field.
Freshman pitcher
Jonah Adams kept the lead for the Mountain Lions until Ferrum tied the game in the third. The game remained deadlocked over the next 2.5 innings.
Concord pushed two runners into scoring position in the bottom of the sixth after a double steal with two outs, but FC escaped.
M. DiSanti got on base as the tying run after a one-out hit by pitch in the bottom of the seventh, but again the Panthers were able to keep Concord off the scoreboard and end the game.
Adams (0-1) was the tough luck loser as he scattered seven hits and two earned runs over 5.2 innings. He recorded five strikeouts.
Four different Mountain Lions had a hit in the nightcap with Stowe's home run accounting for both runs. Freshman outfielder
Lucas Cannon stole two bases.
CU is slated to host UVa.-Wise 2:00 p.m. Wednesday at Anderson Field in Athens.
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