CHINA GROVE — Concord is firmly in the race for the South Piedmont Conference baseball title.

The Spiders broke open a tight pitching duel with four runs in the top of the sixth Wednesday and knocked off host Carson 7-1. It was the fourth consecutive win for the Spiders (4-2, 4-2 SPC) one game back of league leader South Rowan.

“This team is playing with a lot of confidence now,” Concord coach Jaymie Russ said, “We are picking each other up and playing as a team.”

Senior lefty Tyler Thomas made his first start of the season a special one as he went the distance, scattering six hits and striking out eight Carson hitters. He prevailed in a tense pitching duel with Cougar righty Tanner Christy (1-1) that was knotted at 1-1 through five innings.

“Tyler is just a bulldog out there,” Russ said. “He really attacks the hitters and that is why you love him out there in that situation.”

The game turned quickly in the top of the sixth when Concord center fielder Carter Mozingo led off with his second double of the game and went to third on a sacrifice bunt. Matt Panner then delivered the go-ahead run with a sharp single to left.

Carson came a little unglued at that point as two throwing errors on the same stolen base play by Panner allowed him to come all the way around to make it 3-1.  Drew Yoos then added to the Cougars’ misery when he towered a Christy pitch to deep left for a two-run homer and a 5-1 lead.

“I had a good feeling with Carter (Mozingo) coming to the plate to lead off,” Russ stated. “Then when he got that double everybody else just followed suit.”

Concord added more insurance in the top of the seventh off Christy and reliever Health Mitchem on three hits including an RBI single by Thomas to aid his own cause. He then completed the win with two strikeouts in the bottom of the seventh.

“At the end of the game I did get very tired,” Thomas said. “But to hold a good team like Carson to one run doesn’t happen very often. It was definitely a big win for us.”

Thomas also noted that the team has been on an upswing since two early losses in the season, including a deflating 11-1 loss to South Rowan.

Each team scored a run to open the game. Concord used a Mozingo double and Thomas single to lead 1-0. Carson (4-3, 2-3 SPC) tied it in the bottom half with singles by Brycen Holshouser and Michael Morrison plus an RBI groundout by Owen White.

A critical moment for Carson came in the third when Morrison tried to score from second for the lead on a two-out single by White. He had the throw to the plate from left field beaten but collided with catcher Panner in the process and was called out by the umpire for interference.

“He was on the right side of the baseline so I went left and he moved right into me,” Morrison said. “I couldn’t leap over him so I went for the plate. It definitely killed our momentum.”

Morrison led the Cougar effort with three hits while Mozingo and Thomas had two hits each for the Spiders. Thomas and Yoos each drove in a pair of runs. Carson, which has lost its last two SPC games, hurt its own cause with four errors on the night.

“They did a good job of putting the ball in play and scoring the runs when they needed them” Carson coach Chris Cauble said. “We still control our own destiny but we are definitely  in a hole for now. But we will come back out tomorrow and get ready for the next game.”

 

Concord 100 004 2 — 7 9 1

Carson 100 000 0 — 1 6 4

WP: Tyler Thomas (1-0)

LP: Tanner Christy (1-1)

HR: Drew Yoos, Concord (1)