Annville, PA — A slightly delayed three-game MAC Commonwealth Conference set with Lebanon Valley College equated to more of the same for the Messiah College baseball team, as the Falcons swept the Flying Dutchmen by 11-0 and 7-4 counts in a home Saturday double-header before dealing a 14-1 defeat to LVC Monday.
Inclement weather forced Friday's single, nine-inning game to be pushed to Monday, giving Messiah (19-7, 5-1) the series-opening pair at home. The squad responded in kind, winning its fourth, fifth and sixth straight games over the weekend — a streak that capped 15 wins in the team's last 16-games.
Consider that Messiah has averaged a remarkable 10.1 runs per game in those wins, and the squad's collective heat is palpable.
“I thought we played a very solid series,” said Bryan Engle, Messiah head coach. “We didn't play over our heads by any stretch of the imagination, but played up to our potential and what we expect as both players and coaches. Over the three-game set, the pitching was solid, the hitting was efficient and we made the defensive plays. It came together and hopefully we can continue this as we get back on the field.”
Engle's club opened the series with perhaps its most complete effort in Saturday's opener, scoring two runs in the opening inning to begin a 14 to four hitting advantage for the 11-0 win. Senior Dan Kern (5-2) collected the complete-game pitching win, while Messiah's first four batters accounted for nine of the team's hits, nine of the team's runs and six of the team's 11 RBI.
A lead-off double from senior Craig Mease began the Falcons' offense in the first inning, while a home run from sophomore Sheldon Witmer brought in two of Messiah's five runs in the fourth. A single from classmate Jon-Mike Richards brought another two home in the fifth inning, and the rout was on: Kern allowed just four base runners throughout the game, walking none while striking out three.
Richards finished 4-4 with four RBI and two runs scored, while classmate Jordan Zimmerman went 2-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Mease finished 2-3 with three runs scored. Witmer brought in his pair on his second homer of the season.
“I thought we were excellent in the first game Saturday,” Engle said. “We had a great pitching performance from Dan Kern and the defense really supported him. At the plate and on the base paths, we were exceptional. We really took advantage of every opportunity that the opposing defense gave us. In our game preparation for LVC, we covered some things we wanted to exploit and we capitalized on those things today. Our top of the line-up was awesome. They really set the table for us today and got things going at the plate and on the base paths.”
Engle's team needed a spark in Saturday's second contest, as Messiah trailed by a 2-0 count after giving up a lead-off walk and subsequent double to open the game. Witmer (4-0) was able to minimize the damage to just two runs, and again Engle's team responded with a fury: A six-hit, seven run third inning all but decided things, as the club would allow just two more runs for the 7-4 win.
Perhaps equally as important was the top half of the third for the Falcons, however, as LVC (8-13, 0-3) had yet another runner on second base with two outs. After a single from the Dutchmen's John Mentzer looked to plate another, Zimmerman came up with a huge throw that cut down LVC's lead runner at the plate.
Senior Ben Jordan then came up with the clutch offense in the bottom of the stanza, driving a 2-2 pitch over the right-centerfield wall for his first home run of the season. With two outs retired at the time, Jordan's blast turned what was a 2-2 game into a 4-2 affair, allowing Messiah to tack on an additional two hits for three more runs.
“Ben's homer was a huge, two-out hit,” Engle said. “A pitch after he just missed what would've been a run scoring double down the opposite field line, he pulls the next pitch to right-center for a two-run homer and a 4-2 lead with two outs. That's what allowed us to keep our offense going.”
Engle then received a brilliant defensive moment in the top of the fourth inning, as LVC loaded the bases after scoring two runs to pull within a 7-4 difference. With two outs, the bases loaded and Mentzer again at the plate, junior catcher Ben Kirk fired down to second base and picked off an LVC base runner, leaving the Dutchmen's all-time leader in career RBI standing at the plate.
Witmer would then go on to retire the next nine LVC batters, finishing the complete-game pitching performance with six strikeouts and just two walks.
Mease finished 3-3 with three RBI and a double, while junior Jonny Ebersole and senior Ben Snyder both doubled as well. Jordan's blast equated to two RBI, while Richards brought in another in the sacrifice variety.
Perhaps Messiah's closest game of the series came in its most lopsided win, as LVC dealt Messiah a no-hitter through four innings in Monday's finale. Engle's club quickly erased that trend in the fifth, however, scoring five runs off of four hits — three of which were doubles. Richards came up with the biggest hit of the stanza, sending a two-out shot to right center that drove in three.
After freshman pitcher Travis Thome (3-0) gave up LVC's lone score of the game via homer in the bottom of the inning, Messiah was at it again in its next four at-bats, led by a pair of homers from Kirk and another long ball from Witmer. The squad added seven runs in the eighth inning, capped by a two-RBI long ball from Richards.
When the smoke cleared, Messiah had blasted a single-game high four home runs and three doubles, leading to a season-high 14 RBI. Richards and Kirk were the main benefactors, generating five and four RBI, respectively.
“Travis Thome gave us a solid outing today and we certainly needed his pitching through the early part of the game until we broke through in the fifth inning,” Engle said. He was efficient in his pitching in that he threw strikes, let the defense play behind him and didn't try to do too much which could've been easy returning to play at a location so close to his home (Schaefferstown, Pa.) with family and friends there.”
While Messiah's numbers were staggering over the three-day event, perhaps the most representative statistic of the team's dominance came through batting average: On the series, the Falcons held LVC to just a .195 average. Messiah batted .361 with a plethora of extra-base knocks.
“In league play, anything can happen so I'm glad we were fortunate to get three,” Engle said. “Getting a three-game sweep is one of the toughest things, but our guys responded to the challenge and really stepped up at the plate. We are looking forward to our two remaining non-league games this week, and then getting back into conference play this weekend against Widener (University).
Messiah will not have long to wait before its next contest, as the team will travel to Eastern University Tuesday for a single, nine-inning game beginning at 3:30 p.m. The team will then take Wednesday off — its lone idle day this week — before hosting York College Thursday and then opening the home-and-home with Widener Friday.
