PORTLAND, Ore. – Jay Leverett lifted a two-run home run in the top of the seventh as part of a three-run frame and Connor McCord struck out six in 4 1/3 innings of relief to help send the Western Oregon baseball team to a 6-3 win over host Concordia at Porter Park on Saturday night.
 
With the win, the Wolves extended their GNAC-opening winning streak to four games to improve to 5-3 on the year. Concordia, meanwhile, dropped to 4-11 overall and 2-3 in conference play.
 
McCord picked up his second win of the season after striking out six in relief of WOU starter Brady Miller.
 
Leverett singled in the fifth inning, but his two-run home run to left field followed a lead-off single from Torreahno Sweet after the freshman fell behind 1-2 in the count. A Cavalier error later in the seventh cashed in the Wolves' third run of the frame and a RBI single in the eighth frame from Hunter Johnson provided insurance.
 
Kade Mechals struck out the side, catching the final two batters looking, in the bottom of the ninth inning to pick up the third save of his freshman season.
 
Jacob Martinez knotted the game in the third inning with a run-scoring single scoring Johnson who sparked a two-out rally with a hit and advancing on a passed ball.
 
Concordia reliever James Brooks went four innings, striking out five but walking six. He allowed four runs, two earned, on six hits to take the loss, dropping his record to 1-2.
 
Staff Setting Down the Cavaliers
Starting pitcher Brady Miller fanned five over 3 2/3 innings while McCord and Mechals combined for nine punch outs. The Wolves' 14 strikeouts is the second-most of the season behind 16 in a 9-4 win against Montana State Billings on March 4 in a game also played at Porter Park. Coincidentally, the pitchers in that game … Miller (nine strikeouts), McCord (2) and Mechals (5).
 
Leaving a Village On Base
For the second time this year, Western Oregon left 13 base runners stranded. On Saturday, the Wolves did not have a man left over the first three innings, but stranded the bases loaded twice and with two runners on three other times.
 
Up Next
Western Oregon wraps up a three-game set with the Cavaliers on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. with a pair of seven-inning games. The games will have live stats and a one-camera broadcast which can be seen on WOUWolves.com/Live.