Austin Hadley struck out nine batters in four innings of perfect relief duty on Sunday.
Yearout, Hadley lead Concordia to Third Straight Shutout
PORTLAND, Ore.—Combining for 18 strikeouts, Concordia pitchers
Jon Yearout (Vancouver, Wash./Columbia River H.S.) and
Austin Hadley (Vancouver, Wash./Evergreen H.S.) extended the Cavaliers' shutout streak to 31 innings with a 3-0 win against Pacific Lutheran on Sunday in the final game of action as part of the CCC-NWC Challenge.
Following gems by fellow starters
Jason Snodgrass (Ramona, Calif./Ramona H.S.) and
Harrison McGhee (Ramona, Calif./Ramona H.S.), Concordia's (6-2) Yearout rang up nine batters in five innings while making his first appearance of the season. The senior lefty struck out the final two batters in the first and used strikeouts to record all three outs in the second and fifth innings, before turning the ball over to Hadley.
Hadley, just a sophomore, followed suit by retiring the side in order in the sixth as all three Lutes' batters were downed by a swinging 'K'. Hadley replicated the feat in the ninth inning to match Yearout with nine strikeouts, closing out the shutout and earning his second save of the season. Not allowing a walk or a hit, Hadley was perfect in four innings of relief.
The CU offense, meanwhile, generated all it needed in the first stanza as three Cavs came around to score.
Christian Lichtenthaler (Albany, Ore./West Albany H.S.), Ryan McGonigle and
Blake Evetts (Tigard, Ore./Jesuit H.S.) connected for three straight singles before a
Cole Buruse (Ridgefield, Wash./Skyview H.S.) double to left-center put the Cavs up 3-0. Evetts drove in two runs with his single to right before Buruse's RBI drive off PLU starter Derrick Mahlum.
Concordia placed runners on third base in the fourth and fifth innings, but failed to add on to its lead as PLU relievers Jake Otness and AJ Konopaski combined for three shutout innings.
The Lutes placed just two runners in scoring position in the contest with a runner on second with one out in the second and second baseman Tanner Bogat doubling to left with two outs in the fifth.
Concordia returns to action next weekend when it hosts its third tournament in three weeks. Lewis-Clark State, Montana State-Billings and the University of British Columbia will be joining the Cavaliers from Feb. 28 to March as part of the Porter Park Classic.
In the two early games of the CCC-NWC Challenge on Sunday, Puget Sound defeated St. Martin's 8-4 and Corban defeated Pacific Lutheran 4-2.