MERION STATION, Pa. – The Saint Joseph's baseball team rallied in the late innings, but the tying run was left on base in the bottom of the ninth as Davidson held on for an 8-7 win at Smithson Field on Saturday afternoon. Freshman Charlie Concannon hit a pair of home runs in the game.
Concannon's first of the game gave Saint Joseph's (11-12 overall, 2-3 Atlantic 10) a 3-0 first-inning lead. After Deon Stafford, Jr., reached on an error and John Brue singled, a fielder's choice by Matt Maul left runners on the corners with two outs. Concannon then deposited a Durin O'Linger offering over the bullpens beyond right field to give the Hawks an early lead.
Freshman Lucas Rollins allowed lead-off singles in each of the first four innings, but held Davidson (16-11 overall, 4-1 Atlantic 10) off the board until the fourth. Jake Sidwell laced a two-out single to right to score Alec Acosta and Lee Miller and get the Wildcats back within a run.
Stafford doubled the lead to 4-2 in the fifth, launching his league-leading ninth home run of the season over the fence in left.
The Wildcats equalized in the sixth on an RBI single from Sam Foy and a sacrifice fly by Sidwell.
Concannon then led off the bottom of the frame and moved up to third on a fly ball by Brian Lau, but he was retired in a rundown to keep the game tied.
In the eighth, a one-out single from Foy was followed by a walk to Sidwell and a single by Born that scored Foy with the go-ahead run. Andrew Pope followed with a three-run home run to open the lead to 8-4.
SJU got one back in the eighth on Concannon's second home run of the game. Taylor Boyd then led off the ninth with a single and moved to third on a pinch-hit double by Charlie Coghlin. Two batters later, Stafford ripped a single up the middle to plate the pair and get the Hawks within a run, but Westin Whitmire recorded the final two outs to notch his fifth save of the season.
Lau was charged with four runs on three hits in an inning and a third on the mound to take the loss. O'Linger allowed four runs, just one earned, on six hits in seven innings to earn the win.
The Hawks will look to take the series finale on Sunday afternoon at Smithson Field. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.
