(Dunbar, WV) Concordia baseball opened up the 2020 season at a neutral site in West Virginia on Saturday, looking to continue their success from 2019 with their NCCAA World Series Championship. The Cards played a set of two seven inning games against non-conference opponents University of Pikeville and Goshen College. Concordia was able to come away with a pair of wins to begin the young season, and are set for their second game against each team on Sunday.
Game 1 | February 15, 11:30 AM
Concordia 5 - Pikeville 3
Pikeville served as the home team in this neutral site game as Billy Blair was set to take the mound for Concordia. The Cardinals got things going early as they were able to load the bases for Preston Sherman in the top of the first. The senior was able to plate Victor Diaz on a fielder's choice to draw first blood for the Cards.
Billy Blair tossed four innings of clean baseball for the Cardinals, giving up just one run on the four baserunners he allowed throughout the game. Blair finished with eight strikeouts on his way to his first win of the season. Alex Phillips came in to relieve Blair and finished out the game for the save, only allowing a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth.
It was the fifth inning that put the Cardinals over the top as a Victor Diaz triple and Chris Lowe double drove in a run each. Vann Acker smashed the first Cardinal home run of the year in the sixth inning and Diaz scored a run on a Bear error in the final inning to put the nail in the coffin for Pikeville.
Game 2 | February 15, 4:30 PM
Concordia 4 - Goshen 3
Grant Steinborn started the second game of the day for Concordia and went four innings, giving up two runs in the third, with only one being earned. Jacob Henry and Tyson Kleinfelter came on in relief for the "Diamond Cards". Henry gave up a pair of singles in the fifth inning which led to the Leafs' third run. Kleinfelter pitched two perfect innings for Concordia as he sat down all six batters he faced, striking out the side in the seventh en route to four total K's. Kleinfelter went on to earn the win for the Cardinals.
Offensively, it was the Cards who struck first in the second inning as Jordan Sherman drove in his brother Preston to take the early lead.
Going into the final two innings, the Cardinals were down 3-1, but saw an offensive surge that led them to victory. Good baserunning helped the Cards even things up in the top of the sixth as Adam Purdy and Chris Lowe each stole a base before scoring on wild pitches.
With the game square at three a piece heading into the seventh, it was baserunning again that made the difference for Concordia. Cole Southworth singled to lead off the inning and Zack Williams came in to pinch run for the catcher. Williams was able to swipe third base before scoring the game winning run on the throw for the "Diamond Cards".
Concordia will play their second games against Pikeville and Goshen today at 11:30 AM and 2:00 PM respectively. Live stats can be found at concordiacardinals.com.
