By Cody Swartz, GoMessiah.com reporter
Elizabethtown, PA — Messiah finally completed its three-game series with Elizabethtown College Wednesday.
After being postponed twice due to rain and unplayable field conditions, the Falcons may be demanding yet another do-over.
E'Town blasted 20 hits en route to a 13-7 win at Boyd Stadium, far and away the most hits allowed by the Falcons this season and just the fourth time in the last 10 years that a Messiah opponent recorded 20 or more hits in a single game.
“It was a tough day for us,” said Bryan Engle, Mesiah head coach. “I did not feel we deserved to win. They were the better team and they proved it by hitting better, pitching better and being more mentally sound out there on the field this afternoon.”
Ironically, the game appeared to be heading Messiah's way at the start, as the Falcons scored four runs in the first inning. A steady supply of scoring from the Blue Jays – which scored in seven of their eight frames at the plate – was too much for the Falcons to overcome, however, as the hosts doubled up Messiah (8-9, 2-4) in the hitting category.
Sophomore Tory Arnesen earned the pitching start for the Falcons. The Princeton, N.J. native, coming off arguably his best performance as a collegiate athlete in a 6-0 win against Widener University last Thursday, was hit hard by the Jays. Arnesen (2-1) was tagged for eight runs – seven earned – and 10 hits in four innings of work, taking home the loss for the day.
“Tory was a little more up in the zone than last time, but I did not feel he had a bad day on the mound,” said Engle. “(Elizabethtown) just hit the ball. Hats off to them for their performance at the plate.”
The Blue Jays efficiently got to relievers Zach Adams (sophomore) and Elliot Thomas (senior) as well, combining for 10 hits and five runs in four innings.
The Falcons held their own offensively, at least early on. Senior Adam Ranck got things going in the first inning with a one-out base hit to right field. Sophomore Wes Hollenbach followed with his team-leading 11th walk of the season, putting two men on for senior cleanup hitter Sheldon Witmer.
Witmer flared a double into left field that dropped in between the shortstop, third baseman and left fielder, scoring Ranck and sending Hollenbach to third. Arnesen – helping his own case on the mound – then smashed a triple to deep center field, clearing the bases and putting a 3-0 lead on the board.
Following a pop-up for the second out, freshman Paul Mellinger singled to right field, scoring Arnesen and providing the right-hander with a sizable early lead on the mound.
“A four-run lead against a pitcher coming off a stellar outing (Blue Jays' Todd Leister threw a one-hit shutout against Alvernia College in his last start) in the first inning was a tremendous way to start the game,” Engle said. “I couldn't have asked for a better start to the game.”
The lead disappeared quickly, however, as Elizabethtown (10-6, 4-2) scored four in their half of the second inning to tie the game, with the runs coming off a pair of two-out, two-run singles.
Messiah jumped back in front in the top of the third inning. With two outs and no one on base, Arnesen crushed a home run to deep right center field, a ball that probably traveled over 400 feet.
It was merely a part of a superb performance at the plate for Arnesen: He tripled, homered, scored twice and drove in three runs, improving his batting average to .353 on the year with a team-best .706 slugging percentage.
“Tory has been swinging a great bat lately, so he gets to hit,” Engle said, noting his decision to bat his pitcher fifth in the lineup.
The Jays followed with two runs in each of the third, fourth and fifth frames, a pace with which the Falcons' bats couldn't keep up. For the day, every Blue Jay starter collected a hit and scored a run, highlighted by designated hitter Dillon Tagle's 4-4 day at the plate.
“You let the other team score in seven of their eight innings and you're not going to win a lot of games,” Engle said. “They did everything you preach as a coach. They put the ball in play and they took advantage of their opportunities, scoring many of their runs with two outs.”
The Falcons batted .500 for the game (4-for-8) with runners in scoring position, an impressive total in itself, but following the four-run first inning, Engle's team mustered just three runs in the remaining eight frames at the plate.
Defensively, the Falcons weren't as efficient as normal, committing two errors on the day to none for the Blue Jays.
Messiah will not have long to ponder the defeat, as a contest with York College is slated for Thursday. Originally scheduled to take place at home, soggy field conditions at Starry Field has forced a relocation to York's campus. Game time is set for 3:30 p.m. at the Spartans' Jaquet Field.
