ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University baseball team split a Sunday doubleheader with West Virginia State to win the four-game series 3-1 in Mountain East Conference action at Anderson Field, losing 6-5 before winning 11-7.
The Mountain Lions are 19-23 this season and 13-9 in the conference. WVSU drops to 14-26 and 7-15 in the MEC.
Game 1: West Virginia State 6 – Concord 5
Concord took a late lead of 5-3 in the bottom of the sixth, but it wasn't enough as WVSU scored three runs in the top of the seventh.
The Mountain Lions were held to two hits through the first five innings before breaking out in a big way in the bottom of the sixth.
Junior infielder
Nick DiSanti and senior infielder
Matthew DiSanti led off the inning with back-to-back singles before senior outfielder
Dawson Gragg drew a walk. With one out in the inning and the bases still loaded, senior outfielder
Korbin Bostic lifted a single into right center field to plate both DiSanti brothers. Gragg would score on junior infielder
Dawson Maynard's sacrifice fly to tie the game.
But, the scoring wasn't done in the inning, though, as freshman outfielder
Jared Lavergne cracked his first career home run to center field, scoring Bostic and pushing CU ahead by two, 5-3.
WVSU drew consecutive walks to start the seventh, but graduate pitcher Josephn Hastings recorded back-to-back strikeouts to put the Mountain Lions on the brink of taking the first three games of the weekend.
The Yellow Jackets changed the game on a three-run home run to go up 6-5. In the bottom of the seventh, Concord put the go-ahead run on base with as M. DiSanti was hit with two outs, but the rally stalled out.
Bostic and Lavergne both had two RBI. N. DiSanti was the only CU player with a multi-hit game as he finished 2-for-4.
Hastings (1-1) was the pitcher of record. Senior pitcher
Kerry Collins allowed three runs in 3.1 innings. He struck out four.
Game 2: Concord 11 – West Virginia State 7
The Mountain Lions had a seven-run outburst in the bottom of the second and never looked back in securing a series win over the Yellow Jackets for the first time since 2017.
It appeared the second inning would be low in scoring as a run scored on an RBI groundout, but also put a second out on the board. However, the inning was extended when West Virginia State dropped a fly ball in the outfield that tied the game at 2-2. The Mountain Lions took advantage of the miscue by putting six straight batters on base.
N. DiSanti and M. DiSanti had back-to-back RBI singles before Gragg came through with a two-run double to take the lead to 6-2. Gragg came around to score on an RBI single by freshman outfielder
Lucas Cannon.
CU added two more runs in the bottom of the third with senior infielder
Sam Stowe bringing in senior catcher
Austin Hear with a single, and then Stowe scored on an RBI single by M. DiSanti.
WVSU responded with three runs in the top of the fourth, and crept within 9-7 after the top of the fifth.
But, Concord got some much-needed insurance in the bottom of the sixth, although the Maroon and Gray only had one hit in the frame. Lavergne drew a bases-loaded walk and the next batter, Hear, was hit on a 1-0 pitch to bring in a run.
West Virginia State mounted a rally in the seventh as it had the tying run on deck before junior pitcher
Jake Robinson induced a groundout to third base to end the game.
Hitters 1-4, N. DiSanti, M. DiSanti, Gragg and Cannon, combined to go 8-for-15 with five runs scored and six RBI. Gragg and Hear each had a double in the game. Lavergne along with M. DiSanti and Gragg each recorded two RBI.
Senior pitcher
Logan Darrow (3-2) tossed 3.2 innings of relief as he allowed a run on four hits.
Concord, who is two games back in the MEC South of Charleston, travels to take on the Golden Eagles in a four-game series starting 1:00 p.m. Saturday.
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