Wire reports
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
SAVANNAH, Ga. — A four-run rally in the eighth inning helped the Concord baseball team hold off California (Pa.) 13-11 on Monday in the Savannah Invitational.
The victory evened the Mountain Lions’ record at 1-1, both games coming on the spring break trip to coastal Georgia. Both Concord and the Vulcans (4-4) are in the top 10 of the Atlantic Region poll of the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
Concord scored two or more runs in five separate innings.
A pair of runs in the bottom of the first and three in the second staked the Mountain Lions to a 5-1 lead, only to have California close the gap.
After scoring twice more in the fifth and sixth, CU was ahead 9-5. Then the teams exchanged blows. California scored three times in the top of the seventh to pull within 9-8, but Concord retaliated with four in the bottom of the inning to move ahead 13-8.
The Vulcans came right back with three more in the top of the ninth, but Mountain Lions All-American Donovan Huffer came on in relief and got the final two outs.
The three hitters at the top of Concord’s batting order provided the bulk of the Mountain Lions’ offense, with six runs scored and nine RBIs.
Keith Morrisroe went 3-for-5 with a double, a run scored and an RBI; Huffer went 3-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and three runs scored; Greyson Schram went 3-for-4 with a home run, three runs scored an five RBIs.
Number-five hitter Devin Smith finished 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.
Concord plays in the Savannah Invitational again on Tuesday, against WVIAC foe West Liberty. First pitch is set for 10 a.m.
