ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University baseball team picked up a doubleheader split with Point Park, losing game one 10-6 before bouncing back with a 13-12 win in game two, Sunday afternoon in Mountain East Conference action at Anderson Field.
The Mountain Lions are now 8-16 overall and 2-4 in the MEC. Point Park's record is 11-8 and 5-3 in the conference after Sunday's results.
Game 1: Point Park 10 – Concord 6
CU could not keep pace with the powerful Point Park offense in game one.
The Pioneers came out red hot as they posted five runs in the top of the first, however, Concord slowly chipped away at the lead scoring a single run in each of the first three innings.
Senior infielder
Tyson Burke led off the bottom of the second with his first home run of the year. Fellow senior infielder
Matthew DiSanti blasted his first home run of the year with one out in the bottom of the third to close the gap to 5-3.
Still down by two in the bottom of the fourth, the Mountain Lions posted their first crooked number of the day as senior outfielder
Dawson Gragg crushed a three-run home run with two outs to push CU ahead 6-5.
The three-run fourth was immediately answered by PPU in the fifth as the Pioneers scored three times in the their next at-bat. Point Park added two more runs in the sixth for the final margin.
M. DiSanti and junior infielder
Nick DiSanti both had three hits in the game with N. DiSanti collecting a double. Gragg drove in two runs.
Sophomore pitcher
Kaden Varela-Payne (3-3) struck out seven over six innings.
Game 2: Concord 13 – Point Park 12
The nightcap was a see-saw affair that provided four lead changes over seven innings, and a dramatic walkoff win for the Mountain Lions.
Down 12-10 entering the bottom of the seventh, senior catcher
Austin Hear and Gragg were hit to start the inning. Sophomore infielder/pitcher
Dawson Maynard loaded the bases with a single. A sacrifice fly from M. DiSanti cut the margin to one. Then, freshman outfielder
Jared Lavergne re-loaded the bases with a walk, setting the stage for N. DiSanti.
On a 2-1 pitch, he laced a single into center field to score junior outfielder
Couper Stala and junior infielder
Alex Rodriguez who were both pinch running.
Concord got out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning behind an RBI double from senior infielder
Sam Stowe as well as two errors on the same play that allowed redshirt freshman catcher
Andrew Cortor and sophomore outfielder
Atticus Goodson to touch home.
But, the advantage was short lived as Point Park came back with seven runs in the top of the third. Similar to game one, the Mountain Lions chipped away at the lead as senior outfielder
Korbin Bostic and Gragg hit solo home runs in the bottom of the third and fourth innings, respectively.
Now within 7-6 in the bottom of the fifth, Gragg continued his stellar afternoon with a two-out, two-run single to push CU in front, 8-7.
The Pioneers, though, had a quick response as they scored four runs on a grand slam in the top of the sixth.
Concord did not let PPU get away as Burke and Stowe both had RBI singles to bottom of the sixth. The Pioneers did restore a two-run lead in the top of the seventh before CU's furious rally in the bottom half.
Gragg was 2-for-3 with his second homer of the day and three RBI. Burke was on base four time with a pair of hits and two walks. Stowe finished 2-for-4 with two RBI. Lavergne added two hits.
Freshman pitcher
Ethan Evans (1-0) picked up his first career win in relief as he recorded the final four outs. Graduate pitcher
Rylee Nicholas started the game by recording the first eight outs. He allowed five earned runs and tallied two strikeouts.
The walkoff win for CU was its first at Anderson Field since last March versus Frostburg State.
The Mountain Lions travel to Wheeling 1:00 p.m. Saturday as they start the final weekend of MEC North crossover play.
Â
