In their first home PacWest series of the season, the Eagles took both games of the double header against the Vulcans of Hawaii Hilo. Strong pitching performances from both starters as well as the bullpen led the way in both games.
Game one: Eagles – 2 Vulcans – 0
Neil Lang got the start for Concordia in game one and threw a gem. Both teams battled as a pitchers' dual ensued.
Tony Garcia did his part behind the plate, throwing out two runners trying to steal second.
Lang allowed just four hits in his eight innings of work and struck out six.
Both teams were held scoreless until the Eagles found a rhythm in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Chris Martin stepped up to the plate with one out and shot a double off the top of the right field wall.
Ryan Land followed up with another double, his second hit of the game, bringing in Martin to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.
Haloa Dudoit singled to move Land to third.
Jair Donovan then knocked Land in via a fielder's choice, giving Concordia a 2-0 lead.
Carpenter Pagget came in to close out the game in the top of the ninth and earned his third save of the season, but he wasn't done for the day.
Lang earned his second win of the season to improve to a 2-2 record.
Land led the Eagle offense with two hits, a stolen base, one RBI, and one run scored.
Game two: Eagles – 3 Vulcans – 2
Alex Zalasky provided another strong starting pitching performance for Concordia, as game two was another game full of defense and impressive pitching.
The Eagles took advantage of Vulcan errors in the bottom of the third inning as Joe Thompson reached on an error to start the inning. Martin laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Thompson into scoring position. Two more errors on balls hit by Land and Dudoit would bring Thompson in for the first run of the game.
Hilo came back in the top of the fifth, stringing together three straight hits to take a 2-1 lead.
Dillon Millar led of the Eagles' half of the fifth inning with a base hit and advanced all the way to third when the Vulcan pitcher threw the ball away in a failed pick-off attempt. Martin singled to bring him in and tie up the score.
Bailey Collins had a big game two as he shined defensively at first base before knocking in the game winning run. He snagged a line drive early in the game, leaping in the air for an impressive catch. In the top of the sixth he made a stellar diving catch on a bunt that was popped up in foul territory.
Donovan led off the bottom of the sixth with a triple that split the gap in right center. Collins came up clutch, knocking him in with a single to give the Eagle a 3-2 lead.
Pagget returned to the mound in game two in the top of the seventh in the shortened game. After the first two batters reached, he worked Concordia out of the jam and earned his second save of the day for his fourth of the season.
Zalasky did not allow a single walk, and earned his second win of the season, improving to 2-3.
The Eagles improve to 5-4 in PacWest play and continue their four game series with Hawaii Hilo on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Irvine.
