Grantham, PA — Following a five-game losing streak that saw the Messiah College baseball team average nine hits per game while leaving 9.8 runners on base per contest, the team needed extra baseball with McDaniel College to end it Tuesday, taking a 7-6 walk-off decision in 10 innings against the Green Terror.
Sophomore Adam Ranck delivered the game-winning single in the bottom of the 10th, plating senior Kyle Stuckey who led off the stanza with a double. It was the third walk-off win of the year for Messiah (23-14), while the thrilling victory concluded what matched the longest losing skid of the year for the club.
“It feels very, very good to get back on the winning side of things,” said Bryan Engle, Messiah head coach. “Hopefully we can use this as a little momentum-builder for our guys. It's easy to start trying to play outside yourself when things aren't going your way as a team, especially when a lot of those things are uncontrollable. But I thought today we were fairly relaxed and as a result, were able to make some key plays when we needed them.”
Playing its fifth game in five days, Engle's team did not let a two-run top of the first from McDaniel (10-19) be cause for concern. A pair of singles coupled with a wild pitch and a sac fly helped the Falcons land three scores in the bottom of the stanza, while a two-run homer from senior Craig Mease gave Messiah a 5-2 lead following two complete innings of work.
Senior Chandler Sheaffer settled in on the mound following the Green Terror's first inning and went six full, striking out four while walking two. McDaniel was able to methodically move runners around for single scores in both the fourth and fifth innings, however, pulling to a 5-4 ballgame.
With senior Ben Jordan coming on in relief to start the seventh, McDaniel was able to take advantage of two walks in the seventh, eventually driving in both base runners to claim a 6-5 lead.
A crucial solo home run from sophomore Sheldon Witmer followed in the bottom of the inning, tying the game at 6-6 and setting up the nail-biting finish.
If Engle's team wanted to conclude its five-game losing skid, it would have to make a play.
A variety of contributors helped to do just that.
Jordan was pulled in favor of junior Kurt Heim in the ninth, and the hard-throwing right hander got out of a delicate situation after walking two batters en route to loading the bases. Engle then brought in sophomore Elliot Thomas in the 10th, giving up a lead-off single before retiring the next three batters in order.
That set the stage for Ranck's heroics in the bottom of the inning, as Stuckey led off with a roped double to center field. Junior Ben Kirk then advanced Stuckey to third on a sacrifice bunt, while sophomore Jon Shenk struck out and Mease intentionally walked.
With the bases loaded and two outs, Ranck placed a hard-grounder between short and third that would have taken a Derek Jeter-esque play to retire Ranck at first. Busting out of the box from the second the ball was hit, Ranck would have beaten out any attempt at first, which was not needed as the shortstop failed to get the ball cleanly deep in the hole.
Thomas (1-0) recorded his first collegiate pitching win in the decision, while Mease's homer was his eighth of the year, putting him just one away from tying the program single-season record. Senior Ben Snyder finished 3-5 at the plate with an RBI, while Mease, Ranck, Stuckey and Shenk all had two hits apiece.
Messiah registered 13 hits but did strand 11 base runners, a fact not lost on Engle in the joy of a win.
“Hey, we had a few mental errors that we need to shore up before conference playoffs, and we did leave too many guys on base, but it is good to get back to winning,” he said. “We're going to have to capitalize on those opportunities in the coming days, that is certain. But we hit the ball well and did some good things collectively. Ben Snyder continues to look more comfortable at the plate and our senior leadership has been really good during a tough stretch. It was great to get on the field again and just have a chance.”
The Falcons' five-game losing skid equaled a similar stretch in early March, where the team dropped five outings before winning its next nine games in a row. Ironically, that winning streak began with yet another walk-off win at home in a 4-3 decision over Susquehanna University.
Messiah will now take a day off — literally — before traveling to Shenandoah University Friday, facing the Hornets in a single nine-inning contest. Game time is set for 3:30 p.m.
