ATHENS, W.VA. – West Virginia State Baseball split their final doubleheader of the series Monday with Mountain East Conference foe Concord, falling in the first game 9-2 but bouncing back to take the finale 7-2 at Anderson Field.
The Yellow Jackets and the Mountain Lions finish their season series at an even 2-2. State remains at .500 on the season at 14-14 while boasting a 6-10 record in league action, while Concord sits at 20-12-1 (9-7).
Freshman Nathan Paulsen launched the first grand slam of his young career in the nightcap, finishing with a pair of hits. Graduate student Andrew Stone was the offensive leader on the day, totaling four hits, including a triple, while scoring twice. He also drove in two.
Sophomore Chase Norris was dynamic in the second contest, tossing a complete game while striking out seven.
GAME 1: WVSU 2, CONCORD 9
The Stone brothers were the lone multi-hit performers in the contest, each scoring a run with a pair of hits.
In the fourth, Michael Stone led off the frame with a triple, his second in as many games, and then scored on a single to left center from shortstop Brett Christian.
Andrew Stone followed up in the fifth, leading off with a single and advanced on a hit-by-pitch and sac bunt, coming home on a sacrifice fly from classmate Andrew Sharp to plate what was then the tying run.
Concord took an early lead, plating a run in each the second and third innings. After State had evened the contest, the Mountain Lions scored six times in the fifth off five hits, including a home run and a double, and then added insurance in the sixth.
GAME 2: WVSU 7, CONCORD 2
The Yellow Jackets broke the blank in commanding fashion, plating six runs in the second inning, including the four driven home by Paulsen's moonshot.
Graduate student Matthew Kline plated the first run of the frame, reaching on an infield single and then coming home on a single through the right side from graduate student Austin Martin. Christian, who reached on a fielder's choice earlier, was brought home by A. Stone's single up the middle.
The Mountain Lions did score a run in the bottom of that frame on a pair of hits, and then cut the lead to four runs after scoring again in the fifth off a double.
WVSU got one run back, as Christian led off the sixth with a double and then came home on Andrew Stone's triple.
Norris moves to 2-1 on the year with the win.
UP NEXT
In an altered schedule that was announced Monday, State will now host Lincoln Memorial Wednesday at 3 p.m. in a nine-inning affair. The Yellow Jackets outlasted the Railsplitters in Harrogate, Tenn., earlier this season 3-2. Live stats and video will be available.
