After several travel changes and moving its season-opening baseball series against conference rival Concord, Shepherd was finally able to begin its season with consecutive doubleheaders down South in Clover, South Carolina.

The four-game series was originally scheduled for Athens, West Virginia, the home of the Mountain Lions. Weather conditions made those games impossible to play, so the teams tried playing in Denver, North Carolina, but those games were not played, either. Finally, the doubleheaders were moved to South Carolina and played this past Sunday and Monday.

Shepherd swept the Mountain Lions by scores of 11-2 and 7-1 in Sunday’s Mountain East Conference twinbill.

Sam Crater went the first six innings of the season opener and allowed only four hits and two walks while fanning seven.

Shepherd had an eight-run inning to give Crater all the run support he needed. Matt Wilson went 3-for-4 with a home run, triple and four runs scored. Jonathan Sarty was 4-for-5 with three RBIs. Spencer Wolfe had two hits and three RBIs with Tre Porter going 2-for-3 and Jacob Carney going 2-for-4.

Ryan Pansch (2.1 innings), Bryan DiRosario (3.2 innings) and Brian Martin shared the pitching duties in the nightcap with DiRosario getting credit for the win. Concord managed only two hits off the combined efforts of Pansch, DiRosario and Martin.

Wilson collected two hits including a two-run homer. Carney went 2-for-3.

In Monday’s doubleheader, Shepherd defeated the Mountain Lions, 4-1, in the opener behind the complete-game pitching of Jamie Driver. Driver allowed only three hits in his seven innings of work. He walked only two and fanned seven in his route-going performance.

A three-run sixth inning rally snapped a 1-1 tie and Driver protected the lead over the final two innings.

Concord managed its first win in the four-game series when it stopped the Rams, 6-2, in the nightcap.

Wilson went 2-for-2 and scored both Shepherd runs. Wolfe was 2-for-3 and second baseman Zane Bard was also 2-for-3.

Austin Hale went the distance for the Rams and suffered the pitching loss. Hale yielded five hits and four walks. He struck out only one and three of the six runs the Mountain Lions had were earned.

The Rams were 3-1 overall and 3-1 in conference play. The Mountain Lions were 1-3 overall and 1-3 in the Mountain East Conference standings.

Shepherd is scheduled to see West Virginia State in consecutive conference doubleheaders this weekend in Institute.