EMORY, Va. – The Emory & Henry College Baseball Team (12-32) wrapped up its 2023 home schedule with a win over Concord University (22-14) Wednesday afternoon. The Wasps recorded 17 hits on the afternoon as they cruised to a 12-6 win to complete the season sweep of the Mountain Lions.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – Emory & Henry 12, Concord 6
LOCATION – Emory, Virginia
VENUE – Porterfield-DeVault Field
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (12-32, 3-17 SAC); Concord (22-14, 18-2 MEC)
How It Happened
The Mountain Lions wasted no time getting on the scoreboard as they drew back-to-back leadoff walks in the top of the first inning and Kyle Keenan launched a three-run blast over the fence in left to give Concord the early 3-0 lead. The Wasps answered with one in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly from junior outfielder Wayne Mize (Salisbury, N.C.) to draw back within 3-1.
E&H posted three runs in the bottom of the second to jump back in front. Senior outfielder and reigning SAC and Southeast Region Player of the Week Jermie Greene, Jr. (Troutman, N.C.) laced a single down the line in left, junior designated hitter McCray Sawyers (Stuart, Va.) drew a walk and they both moved up on a wild pitch. Freshman catcher Garrison Bullock (Concord, N.C.) then pushed across a run on a sacrifice fly to make it 3-2. The Wasps would score two more in the inning on a pair of wild pitches to take the lead at 4-3.
Fifth-year first baseman Matthew Long (Willow Spring, N.C.) led off the home half of the third inning with his seventh long ball of the season to run the Wasps' advantage to 5-3. Sawyers followed up with a double to right and Bullock picked up his second RBI of the day on a single through the middle to make it 6-3 Wasps. Chris Satcher got one back for Concord in the top of the fifth with a solo shot to left to make it a 6-4 ballgame.
Long singled to start the fifth and Greene, Jr. followed with his second base hit of the game. Senior second baseman Noah Mazza (Plainfield, Ill.) and junior Jared Foley (Sparta, N.C.) came up clutch with back-to-back two-out RBI singles to plate a pair and give E&H the 8-4 lead. The Mountain Lions clawed back in the top of the sixth as Rylee Nicholas blasted a two-run shot to dead center to pull the deficit back to 8-6.
Emory & Henry plated four more in the bottom of the seventh. Bullock drew a walk and scored on a fielding error after Foley's double into the left-center gap to make it 9-6. Junior outfielder Tyler Bradley (Bessemer City, N.C.) then left the yard for a two-run bomb to balloon the E&H lead out to 11-6. Long rounded out the inning with an RBI single through the left side and the Wasps held on for the 12-6 win.
Sophomore right-handed hurler Zack McRae (Greensboro, N.C.) earned the winning decision on the mound as he allowed three runs over 1.2 innings of work while striking out a pair of Mountain Lions. Evan Hosey took the loss against E&H for the second time this season as he surrendered four hits and four runs in two innings on the hill. Foley, Bradley, Long and Bullock each contributed two RBI in the winning effort for the Wasps.
Up Next
Emory & Henry makes the trip to Harrogate, Tennessee this weekend for its final South Atlantic Conference series of the year against Lincoln Memorial University. First pitch of Friday's game one is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
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