Published: May 20, 2009 07:29 am      

Acker’s homer lifts Concord over Goshen

Junior Doug Acker struck a winning blow Tuesday for the Concord High School baseball team.

Acker’s three-run homer with two out in the top of the sixth inning lifted the Minutemen past the Goshen Redskins, 4-2, in a Northern Lakes Conference thriller at Phend Field on the GHS campus.

The game ended in controversy and added to a frustrating string of games for the Redskins.

Goshen had the bases loaded with two out in the bottom of the seventh as sophomore Troy Pickard singled, junior Jon Swihart walked and senior Brock Bender was hit by a pitch.

On a 3-2 pitch, GHS senior Ethan Hussey hit a grounder to Concord sophomore shortstop Logan Draus who threw to junior first baseman Kyle Gavin.

Hussey was called out and the Redskins argued, to no avail, that Gavin both dropped the ball and did not have a foot on the base.

Except for the one pitch to Acker, Redskin senior right-hander Spencer Oversen pitched one of his better games of the season — a three-hitter with six strikeouts and two walks.

Concord took a lead in the top of the first inning as junior Garrett Frey walked, raced to third on a Redskin error and scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by Gavin.

Oversen then retired 15 of the next 16 Concord hitters, issuing only a second-inning single to senior Nick Cocanower.

The Redskins broke through in the bottom of the fourth to take a 2-1 lead.

Senior Brett Hunter ripped a one-out single to center and then, on a smart baserunning play, took third on a single by senior Jeremy Jordan.

Senior Cord Schmucker then bunted safely to score Hunter and senior Evan Weeden was safe on an infield roller, scoring Jordan.

Other Goshen hits were singles by Bender and Hussey in the first inning and junior Carl Kay in the third.

Frey walked to start the top of the sixth for the Minutemen and senior David Yoder singled to right on a hit-and-run.

After two outs, Acker drilled his home run over the right field fence into the Phend Field bus parking lot.

Goshen, 11-14 overall and 3-10 in the NLC, closes the conference portion of its schedule today at NorthWood. Concord, 14-9 and 7-6, hosts Wawasee today.

The Redskins and Minutemen will clash a third time this season on Saturday, May 30, in the second semifinal game of a Class 4A sectional at Elkhart Memorial — starting about 1:30 p.m.