EMORY, Va. – The Emory & Henry College Baseball Team (3-19) fell in non-conference action to Concord University (7-5) Tuesday afternoon. The Wasps drilled three home runs, but came up short by a 9-7 final score.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – Concord 9, Emory & Henry 7
LOCATION – Emory, Virginia
VENUE – Portfield-DeVault Field
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (3-19, 1-11 SAC); Concord (7-5, 0-0 MEC)
How It Happened
The Mountain Lions jumped ahead early as they tallied three runs on four hits in the top of the first and one run on a pair of base knocks in the top of the second inning to establish a 4-0 lead. The Wasps answered back in the bottom of the second when senior designated hitter Caeden Howell (Roaring River, N.C.) reached on a fielder's choice and scored on an RBI double from senior outfielder Matt Hill (Pineville, N.C.) to trim the deficit to 4-1.
The bats went silent over the following two innings, but the E&H offense exploded in the home half of the fifth. Senior third baseman Jared Foley (Sparta, N.C.) got the inning started with a solo blast to left center for his first of the season. Freshman shortstop Anthony Umbach (Harrisburg, N.C.) drew a walk, fifth-year outfielder Jermie Greene, Jr. (Troutman, N.C.) singled and junior first baseman Jacob Bebber (Taylorsville, N.C.) cleared the bases with a three-run bomb, his first of the season, to push the Wasps ahead 5-4 through five innings.
Concord immediately responded in the top of the sixth as the Mountain Lions pushed across three runs on a pair of home runs to retake the lead 7-5. CU added two more in the top of the eighth to run their advantage out to 9-5. Fifth-year second baseman Noah Mazza (Plainfield, Ill.) slammed a two-run homer to left in the bottom of the eight to draw within a pair, but it was too little too late as the visitors took the win by a 9-7 final.
Eddie Blake was the winning pitcher for Concord after allowing four runs on five hits and striking out a batter in two innings of work. Freshman lefty C.J. Lincoln (Aiken, S.C.) took the loss on the mound for the Wasps after giving up three hits and three runs while striking out a batter over two innings. Bebber led the Wasps with two hits and three driven in while Mazza also finished with two hits and a pair of RBIs. Five other Wasps recorded a hit in the losing effort.
Up Next
The Wasps return to South Atlantic Conference play on Friday, March 15 when they host game one of a three-game weekend set against the Eagles of Carson-Newman University. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. from Portfield-DeVault Field.
--E&H--