Resiliency.

It’s an overused, cover-your-eyes-and-throw-away-the-paper cliche for sportswriters.

This spring I’ve covered only two Concord baseball games, three counting Thursday’s 4-1 win over Exeter. In all three of those games, the Crimson Tide found themselves in deficit. Whether it was early in the game, in the middle or toward the end, in the three games I’ve covered Concord not once collected the initial lead.

It was said in a beat-around-the-bush way by designated hitter Jack Reynolds, and then later by coach Scott Owen. The no-no word that scribes shouldn’t use.

Resiliency.

And yet, it works. Concord found itself in a 1-0 deficit early after Exeter’s Nathan Leighton on the first pitch he saw smacked the ball for an RBI double. The Tide closed out the inning on the next batter and began a three-inning stretch of almost scoring.

They left runners on base in the second and third after solid hits by Reynolds and Brooks Craigue. Concord defensively was as sharp as it’s been down the stretch despite that one-run hole it was in.

Center fielder Nater Wachter tracked ball after ball with the sunset in his eyes. Second baseman Dylan Miles, in tandem with first baseman Declan Adams, looked like they were playing back in Little League, with many grounders fielded and tags made.

Starting pitcher Matt Drewes controlled the mound through his pace, and catcher Kalan Gaudreault had a highlight-reel diving catch in the second inning.

These moments, all defensive, are the foundations of that noun – resiliency. And when you have a foundation that’s solid enough, you build on it.

Cam McGonigle started the offensive party with a single, reaching second courtesy of a fielding error. Dan Revellese followed with a single of his own, and AJ Fennelly sent McGonigle home with a shot into the outfield aided by another fielding error by Exeter.

Reynolds’ smacked the ball into deep left field drove in two more runs, which was critical to the game, obviously. But the senior admitted his confidence at the plate had been minimal recently.

“It’s been like the last two games,” he said about his batting slump. “Quick memory, have to have it in baseball.”

What’s that again you say? Resiliency?

Concord held on for the win, its 13th of the season. It’ll make the D-I postseason tournament again and will host a to-be-announced team on Thursday in the preliminary round.

The Tide are a determined bunch, too. They’ve quietly listened to their peers say they aren’t who they were a year ago, but they’re back in the playoffs where anything can happen.

“It’s anybody’s ballgame,” Owen said. “There’s 15 teams that make the tournament, and there’s only one at the end.”

“Why can’t it be us?”

It won’t be the Tide’s determination that will get them through the playoffs. It won’t be their superb fielding or even better offense – those certainly will help – but it’s more than the tangibles.

It’ll be their resiliency.