AUSTIN, Texas – After dropping the first game of the day, the Concordia Texas baseball team bounced back with a game two victory thanks to some late-inning offense, splitting the doubleheader with UMass Boston on Friday.
In game one, the Tornados struggled to put together offense, and a fourth-inning grand slam gave the Beacons a lead to hold on. Ultimately, Concordia Texas fell 7-2.
UMB opened the scoring in the second inning, picking up a one-out double that eventually came around to score on a passed ball, and took a 1-0 lead.
In the bottom of the third, Mason Dubois bunted home
Chris Varljen for the first CTX run of the game, and
Dalton Watts followed with an RBI single up the middle, his first of two hits in the game. After three innings, CTX led 2-1.
In the following inning, a UMB grand slam blew the game open and gave the Beacons a 5-2 lead.
The Beacons added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh thanks to back-to-back RBI knocks, pushing the lead to 7-2.
With one final chance to mount a comeback in the seventh, a ground ball double play halted the Tornados' efforts. Ultimately, game one belonged to the Beacons by a score of 7-2.
In game two, the Tornados employed some late-inning magic, scoring three runs in the bottom of the eighth to secure a 4-3 victory. An RBI single from
Kalen Moreno followed by a pair of RBI bunts, a sacrifice squeeze from
Aaron San Miguel and an RBI bunt single from
Sterling Stephens, ensured the Tornados left the day with a victory.
Concordia Texas received two stellar efforts on the hill from
Colton Hunter and
Easton Migl. Hunter, who started the game, scattered six hits and held the Beacons to one earned run over 5.1 innings, and Migl pitched 3.2 shutout innings of relief with seven strikeouts.
The Tornados were the first team on the board, taking a 1-0 lead in the first.
Riley Becker legged out a one-out triple, and Watts picked up his second RBI of the day with a ground ball to the right side.
In the top of the fourth, a UMB single brought home a run, evening the score at 1-1.
The Beacons added two more RBI knocks in the top of the sixth, taking a 3-1 lead.
Trailing by two in the bottom of the eighth, the Tornados strung together clutch hits to take back the lead. Watts began the inning by working a leadoff walk, and
Shawn Huber followed with a pinch-hit single, putting runners at the corners. Moreno brought home the first run of the inning, recording an RBI single, and San Miguel executed a sacrifice squeeze to bring home another CTX score.
Finally, Moreno came around to score the go-ahead run as Stephens put down a perfect RBI bunt single on the left side of the infield. Heading into the final frame, Concordia Texas led 4-3.
Migl slammed the door shut in the ninth, retiring the side in order with a punch out to pick up his third win of the season.
With a win in game three, Concordia Texas will return to Tornado Field with a chance to split the four-game series. The series finale is set for 11 a.m. on Saturday.
