Varela-Payne Picks Up Third MEC Pitcher of the Week Honor

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – Sophomore pitcher Kaden Varela-Payne of the Concord University baseball team has been tabbed as the Mountain East Conference Pitcher of the Week, the league office announced Monday afternoon.
 
Varela-Payne was dominant in his weekend start Saturday afternoon, tossing a complete game and guiding Concord to a 9-1 victory over the Kutztown Golden Bears.
 
In the seven-inning game, the right-hander struck out nine batters while only allowing three hits and a single run. The Raleigh, North Carolina native did not issue a walk or hit by pitch in the contest.
 
Varela-Payne recorded 1-2-3 innings in five of the seven frames. In the top of the fifth inning, he struck out the side as a part of his nine punchouts. Of the nine, four of them looking. He finished the game by retiring 14 of the final 15 batters he faced.
 
It was Varela-Payne's first complete game of the season. Varela-Payne now posts a 2-1 record and in 24 innings of work, he has racked up 25 strikeouts.
 
Monday's announcement was Varela-Payne's third MEC Pitcher of the Week Award.
 
Wheeling's Luke Meyer was named the MEC Player of the Week.
 
CU visits Millersville for a three-game series beginning Saturday at 12:00 p.m.