ATHENS, W.VA. – It was a split afternoon for West Virginia State Baseball, as the Yellow Jackets fell in the opening contest 3-2 to Mountain East Conference South Division foe Concord, but bounced back to win the nightcap by the same score.

The Yellow Jackets remain at .500 on the year at 13-13, and carry a 5-9 record in MEC play. The Mountain Lions are now 19-11-1 and 8-6 in the league.

The rookie duo of freshmen Dante Zamudio and Nathan Paulsen led the way for State, as Zamudio launched his first long ball of his young career to lift the Yellow Jackets in Game 2, and Paulsen tallied four hits on the day.

GAME 1: WVSU 2, CONCORD 3
The Yellow Jackets wasted no time getting on the board, as Paulsen scored in the opening frame after doubling and coming home on a RBI groundout from graduate student Andrew Sharp.

Concord used a trio of singles to tie the contest in the bottom of the second, and then used a pair of hits and two walks to take a 3-1 lead in the third inning.

State cut the lead to one in the top of the sixth, after Sharp singled to lead off the inning and came home on a single to right field from junior Trey Junkins.

Junkins and Paulsen each tallied two hits in the contest.

GAME 2: WVSU 3, CONCORD 2
State broke the blank in the top of the third, when shortstop Brett Christian singled to lead off the inning and then came home on a connection to left field from Paulsen.

WVSU added cushion in the fifth when graduate student Andrew Stone, who walked earlier in the frame, scored on a Concord miscue.

The Mountain Lions tied the contest on a two-run shot in the sixth, but the stalemate was short lived as Zamudio blasted the ball the lead off the seventh to secure State's victory.

Paulsen posted another two hits and senior Michael Stone tripled. Junior Nick Loftis picked up the victory, going six innings with five strikeouts.

UP NEXT
The series will conclude Monday, with another doubleheader on tap. First pitch is again slated for 1 p.m., with live stats and video available for both contests.