Ryan Sussenguth (left) drove in the winning run in the nightcap while Casey McLeod (right) registered five hits in the doubleheader.
Three in the Ninth Seal Concordia Sweep Over Corban
PORTLAND, Ore.— Trialing by two in the bottom of the ninth, Concordia rallied with three runs to walk-off with a doubleheader sweep over Cascade Collegiate Conference rival Corban College on Monday.
After a commanding 10-4 win in the opener, CU edged Corban 6-5 in the nightcap to improve to 7-16 on the year and 6-2 in conference play. Corban dropped to 6-15 overall and 3-5 in league action.
Concordia erupted for 17 hits in the opener, including seven smacks in a six-run sixth inning. Brad Himes (Chatsworth, Calif./Bishop Alemeny), Casey McLeod (Milwaukie, Ore./Rex Putnam H.S.) and Brennan Ingram (Vancouver, Wash./Battleground H.S.) each collected a trio of hits to lead the attack in the seven-inning game.
Corban opened with a solo score in the first, but CU managed to send three runners home to make it a 3-1 affair. An RBI double by Ben Lanier (Kinston, N.C./Kinston H.S.) added to the Cavalier lead in the second and the Warriors countered with a bases-loaded by McGraw in the fourth to cut the deficit to two.
After starter Ross Conway (Seattle, Wash./Garfield, H.S.) handling eight hits across 5 2/3 innings of work, the Cavs batted 11 in the sixth en route to six runs for a 10-2 lead. A three-run Sean Myrom (San Diego, Calif./Rancho Bernardo H.S.) blast over the left-field wall highlighted the inning while Himes and Lanier also struck for RBI’s in the inning with doubles off Corban pitcher Jordan Emery (Salem, Ore./N. Salem H.S.).
Conway received the win for CU to improve to 2-2 on the year. Emery pitched all six for the Warriors, tallying four strikeouts and one walk while being charged with all 10 runs.
After giving up solo runs in the first, fourth and seventh, Corban responded late with four of their own in the eighth to take a one-run lead heading into the ninth inning.
With reliever Zac Manor (Sandpoint, Idaho/Sandpoint H.S.) retiring the Warriors in the ninth in four batters, Concordia quickly loaded the bases in the home half of the stanza to setup the final charge.
Ingram opened the inning with a single through the middle while Myrom followed with a walk. Turning toward the top of the order, Roberto Reyes (Monterrey, Mexico) notched an RBI with a grounder to shortstop after beating the double play effort by the Warrior defense.
After an intentional walk to Lanier, senior catcher Ryan Sussenguth (Gresham, Ore./Sam Barlow H.S.) provided the game-winners with a shot to the second baseman that was mishandled for an error. With the ball darting towards the outfield and the baserunners moving on contact, Myrom and Reyes rounded the bases to end the contest in the ninth.
Concordia starter Jason Grisham (Canby, Ore./Canby H.S.) lasted 7 2/3, allowing five hits and three runs while striking out five batters. Manor recorded the win by pitching the final 1 1/3 innings, giving up one hit and striking out one.
Concordia returns to action on Tuesday when it travels to St. Martins for a non-conference doubleheader in Lacey, Wash. First pitch is set for noon.