Newark, NJ – Thursday afternoon at Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium, the end didn't justify the means.
Or, at least, the first eight innings.
Top-seeded and defending national champion Kean University handed Messiah College a 7-1 defeat in second-round play of the 2008 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional, scoring five runs in a calamity-filled top of the ninth to belie what was a hotly contested affair through the majority. Messiah (28-17) and Kean (37-9) were tied 1-1 through seven full innings of work, while the Cougars claimed a narrow 2-1 lead in the top of the eighth. The Falcons then came up empty after loading the bases in the bottom of the eighth inning, a missed opportunity which culminated into an anomaly in the defensive portion of the ninth.
It was a rough way to move into the consolation bracket of the double-elimination tournament, as Messiah must now regroup to face Keystone College at 10 a.m. Friday morning to keep its post-season run alive.
“I've never seen a closer 7-1 game in my life,” said Bryan Engle, Messiah head coach. “Not everyone gets a crack at the defending national champions. To have that, and to be as close as we were today, that's what hurts. We put ourselves in a great position. We just didn't come up with the clutch hit.”
Solid pitching and absolutely stellar defense comprised most of the day's action, as sophomore Sheldon Witmer got the start on the mound for the Falcons, shaking off a game-opening double to keep the Cougars' offense to a minimum. Kean eventually scored in its first at-bat after stealing third base and placing an RBI groundout, but Witmer gave up just two more hits in the following six innings of work, providing the offense time to operate.
Messiah's best opportunities came in the middle three innings, where – ominously – the team could plate just one run. Sophomore Adam Ranck led off the fourth inning with a single to right field, and advanced to third following a Cougars' wild pitch and sacrifice groundout from Witmer.
Ranck would remain stranded on the bag, however, as sophomore Jordan Zimmerman produced a too-shallow fly out to right field and junior Jonny Ebersole ripped a shot into left – only to be caught by a sprinting Cougars' fielder.
After a brilliant defensive series in the top of the fifth inning – Witmer allowed both of the aforementioned hits in the stanza but struck out the side in emotional fashion – Messiah finally cashed in, albeit with reservation. Singles from junior Ben Kirk and senior Ben Snyder were followed with a fielder's choice courtesy of sophomore Jon Shenk, loading the bases with no outs.
Ranck then grounded into a double play, scoring Kirk but failing to produce an RBI by rule. Senior Craig Mease then grounded out to conclude the inning, and the game was deadlocked 1-1.
It appeared that would all change just one inning later, as Engle's group was at it again on the base paths. A one-out double from Witmer was advanced to third on a sacrifice fly from Zimmerman, and when Ebersole fought back from a 1-2 count to draw a walk, Messiah had runners on the corners.
Kirk then fanned a scorching liner to the opposite field, only for Kean second baseman Michael Moceri to make an incredible diving stop. Lunging to his left, Moceri knocked down what surely would have been an RBI blast to right, picking himself up off the dirt to force Kirk out at first base and end the inning.
“(Moceri) made a great, great play,” Engle said. “To beat a great team, you need those types of breaks to go your way. Whether it's a quality hit, like Ben's nearly was, or if it's just a measly little blooper, you just need to get a hit. We failed to do that when we had to.”
What Engle's club did do, however, was keep itself close during a stomach-churning top of the eighth. Kean scored the go-ahead run following a pair of singles and a sacrifice groundout, only to load the bases following another groundout and a pair of walks.
With a chance to take firm control of the game, Witmer forced Kean's Moceri to pop up down the right field line, a foul ball that Ebersole calmly collected with little room to spare.
And – much like the finish to the top half of the fifth – Messiah utilized that momentum in its offensive half of the stanza. Witmer led off the series following an error on the Cougars' shortstop, while Zimmerman utilized a choppy grounder to the shortstop to safely reach first, advancing Witmer to second.
When the Cougars had to eat a slow groundball to the pitcher from Kirk, Messiah had loaded the bases with just one out retired.
The Falcons' faithful grew to a fever pitch.
“The manner in which we loaded the bases in the eighth, I really thought that was our inning,” Engle said. “We were right there.”
Sadly for Engle's club, it was as close as they would get.
Snyder blooped a low fly ball just past first base to record the second out of the inning, while Shenk struck out swinging to end it.
Upon Shenk's final swing, the Kean dugout erupted.
It was the Cougars' turn to utilize momentum generated from its defense.
Following a fly out to its lead-off batter, Kean landed its first base runner via a rare fielding error from Mease. A single followed, but Witmer then forced a pop fly to Mease, putting runners on first and second with two outs gone.
It was at that point the wheels completely fell off.
A passed ball allowed not one, but two bases for the existing Kean base runners, scoring the lead for a 3-1 score. Witmer then issued his fifth walk of the game, and Engle summoned junior Kurt Heim to come on in relief.
After another Kean stolen base put runners at second and third, an ensuing single scored two, making it a 5-1 game. Another Falcons' error put that runner at third, while a triple scored another. Kean's Derek Gianakas blasted a single to drive in yet another score, giving the Cougars four hits and four RBI in the stanza.
Deflated, Messiah went down in order in the bottom of the ninth, as senior Kyle Stuckey, Mease and Ranck all grounded out.
On the game, Messiah stranded 10 base runners, going just 2-13 with runners in scoring position. Kirk and Snyder led the way with two hits apiece. Witmer (6-2) suffered the pitching loss, going 1-4 at the plate with the team's only extra-base hit of the day.
“We gave them an open door in the ninth and man, did they capitalize,” Engle said. “We had our chances, though. This hurts, simply because we were so, so close to getting this one.”
Engle's club will not have long to dwell on what might have been, as the team will face Keystone College (31-11) in a win-or-go-home game at 10 a.m. Friday. Seventh-seeded Keystone, which lost its regional-opener to second-seed Rowan University by a 14-9 score, defeated DeSales University 11-5 in one of Thursday's consolation-bracket games.
Friday's Keystone-Messiah winner will advance to face the winner of the Gwynedd-Mercy College-Rowan University game at 7:45 p.m. Friday night, for a right to compete in Saturday's regional championship. Complete game match-ups and times – including live stats from all contests – are available at the at the tournament website.
