Pittman, Hadley Power Cavs to Series Win at Menlo
ATHERTON, Calif.—Opening the NAIA West season at Menlo College, the second place team in the league last year, Concordia swept the Oaks on Saturday to complete a 3-1 series win on the road.
Concordia used a 7-run first to defeat Menlo 7-5 in the opener and came back with a complete-game gem from
Austin Hadley (Vancouver, Wash./Evergreen H.S.) for a 6-2 win in the nightcap.
With the sweep, Concordia improved to 12-5 on the season and 3-1 in NAIA West play. Menlo fell to 8-12 overall and 1-3 to start league play. Concordia will host the University of British Columbia for a four-game series at Porter Park from March 14-16.
Game 1 – Concordia 7, Menlo 5
Using a variety of methods, the first eight Concordia batters reached safely with the first seven scoring runs before the first recorded out. After
Blake Drake (Ramona, Calif./Ramona H.S.) led off the game with a single to left, the Cavs drew three walks and used two errors to plate its first three runs.
Batting seventh,
Cole Pittman (Salem, Ore./West Salem H.S.) connected on the team's second hit, but with a launch over the right-field fence, gave the Cavs a 7-0 advantage. Drake returned to hit a double to left before Menlo reliever Eric Davila was finally able to record the final two outs of the frame.
The Oaks got two runs back in the home half of the first and two more in the second to apply some immediate pressure on the Cavs.
CU starter
Jon Yearout (Vancouver, Wash./Columbia River H.S.) lasted eight innings, however, and cruised to his second win of the season behind the early run support.
Blake Evetts (Tigard, Ore./Jesuit H.S.) earned his fourth save of the season by completing the ninth, allowing one hit and striking out a single batter.
Menlo actually outhit the Cavs 13 to 9 and stranded a total of 10 runners.
Game 2 – Concordia 6, Menlo 2
The Cavs once again scored in the first inning, getting one with
Blake Drake (Ramona, Calif./Ramona H.S.) singling to open the game, balking to second, moving to third on a sacrifice bunt from
Christian Lichtenthaler (Albany, Ore./West Albany H.S.) and completing the journey on a wild pitch.
An opening walk in the second by
Cole Pittman (Salem, Ore./West Salem H.S.) in the second led to a 2-0 lead with Lichtenthaler drawing a two-out walk with the bases loaded.
The Oaks cut the lead to 2-1 in the fourth with a solo bomb by Alex Boucher only to see the Cavs strike for a trio of runs in the seventh. Drake started the seventh with a solo shot to left and Pittman returned with a sac fly to center to score
Blake Evetts (Tigard, Ore./Jesuit H.S.).
Austin Hadley (Vancouver, Wash./Evergreen H.S.) turned in CU's first complete game of the season, allowing six hits while striking out eight.