CONCORD – Committing eight errors and allowing 10 unearned runs isn’t often a formula for winning baseball games.

Concord’s 15-10, 11-inning loss to Manchester Central-West (1-2) on Monday night was no exception to that rule, but given how close the Tide (1-2) came to winning the game on numerous occasions, head coach Scott Owen has ample reasons to feel encouraged about what the future holds for the remainder of the season.

“I love our compete level. We just kept coming back,” Owen said following the game, which lasted for well over three hours. “We can build on that. I’ve had teams that were really good that, you’re down two runs, and the game was over because they didn’t compete. I’m happy with that compete level, and hopefully we’ll just keep building and getting better.”

Sophomore Noah Chrabolowski started on the mound for Concord and pitched four innings, allowing six runs (one earned) on four hits with no walks or strikeouts. Junior Kaelen Williams and senior Josh Turant provided valuable innings in relief, helping Concord come back from what was a 6-1 deficit to ultimately tie the game 6-6 in the bottom of the seventh and force extra innings. Williams struck out four and allowed two earned runs in four innings of relief; Turant struck out three and also gave up two earned runs in two innings.

“Gave us a chance to win,” Owen said of his two relievers. “That’s all you can really ask for from guys, is to come in and do your job. That’s Josh’s first time on the mound. We’re still doing a lot of firsts which makes it hard, but we’re still doing firsts. When we get past that, the experience will get there, and we’ll be able to pull one of these off.”

Notable performers at the plate included Mitch Coffey (2-for-4, home run, two hits, two RBI, two runs scored), Alex Turant (3-for-6, run scored) and Trevor Craigue (2-for-6, walk, three runs scored).

After Central-West took a 9-6 lead in the top of the eighth inning, Concord plated three runs – including two on a ground ball fielder’s choice off the bat of senior Brett McDonough – to tie the score at 9-9. The Tide ultimately dug itself too deep a hole after surrendering six runs in the 11th inning, but that fight resonated with the Concord head coach.

Owen has seven seniors on his roster that entered this season with no varsity experience. They’ve played on the freshman team and the JV team for two years waiting for this chance. Even when things didn’t go their way on Monday, they continued to battle. They didn’t work as hard as they did and wait as long as they had for this opportunity to not make the most of it.

“I think they’re buying in,” Owen said. “You gotta believe. You gotta compete. And if you do that, it doesn’t always work out, but it’ll work out hopefully more than it won’t.”