By Cody Swartz, GoMessiah.com reporter
Washington, DC — For the 2010 Messiah baseball team, the beginning of the season was highly anticipated. After unplayable field conditions postponed or cancelled the team's first six games, getting the opportunity to finally play a season-opening doubleheader was long overdue.
Unfortunately, the Falcons didn't have the beginning the team hoped for Saturday afternoon, as Coach Bryan Engle's squad dropped a pair of games to the Catholic University Cardinals – the first by a 5-0 score and the second a heartbreaking, 6-5 loss.
“We got beat in Game One, but just lost Game Two,” Engle said. “You can take getting beat, but giving away a game is tough.”
In Game One, the Falcons loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the first inning, setting the stage for what could have been a big inning, but the team couldn't push across a run.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals scored two runs in their half of the first and another in the second, taking a 3-0 lead still early in the game.
“Their pitcher (Andrew Moldawer) pitched well,” Engle said. “When you get that early deficit, it limits your ability to play offensively. You can't bunt, move the runners along, do the little things in seven innings that you can in nine. You need to come through with the big hits.”
The Cardinals — winners of the Landmark Conference last year — added two more runs in the fourth inning to provide all the scoring for the game, taking a 5-0 decision at Gallaudet University's stadium — Saturday's games being moved across town due to unplayable field conditions at Catholic.
Falcons' junior starter Eric Spring (0-1) was tagged for five runs in four innings (although just two were earned). Spring struggled with his control, walking seven while tossing two wild pitches, although the lefty did strike out four batters in the season debut.
Four errors from the Messiah defense didn't help matters, either.
“There was a lot to fix after that first game,” Engle said. “We left too many guys on base at the plate and gave them too many runners in the field. It never helps when you allow the other team to beat you like that.”
Sophomore pitcher Nate Roten did contribute with two solid innings of relief, allowing just one hit while striking out four Cardinals.
“Nate pitched really well for us in relief,” Engle said. “He's got a role on this team and he filled it very well today. He kept us in the game.”
The Falcons started Game Two in promising fashion, as freshman Paul Mellinger's one-out single scored sophomore Wes Hollenbach to put the team on the board.
The lead didn't last though, as the Cardinals scored five runs off starter Travis Thome (0-1) in their portion of the inning. “We made a lot of mental errors today. We weren't as sharp as we needed to be, and that hurts,” Engle said. “We made two physical errors (in our defensive half of the first) and that obviously hurt us.”
Thome settled down after that, pitching four straight scoreless innings to keep the game competitive. The junior finished the day with six innings pitched, three earned runs, and five strikeouts.
“Despite not having his best stuff, Travis competed and gave us a chance to chip away at our deficit and get back into the game,” Engle said.
The Falcons' offense battled back, tacking on a run in the fourth and fifth frames to make it a 5-3 game.
Mellinger's double to lead off the sixth ignited a rally. Senior Jon Shenk singled and sophomore Thor Arnesen's pinch-hit RBI double brought the Falcons to within one run. Following a walk by senior Adam Ranck, classmate Jordan Zimmerman drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game.
Sadly, Messiah could due no further damage in the inning, as Catholic (3-0) got out of the no-out, bases-loaded jam by forcing a strikeout and a pair of fly outs.
The Falcons nearly tacked on a go-ahead run in the top of the seventh, but stranded two runners after an untimely pickoff spoiled a potential big inning. Sophomore Ryan Brown got on base via a lead-off walk, and Mellinger followed with a free pass.
Brown was then cut down in an effort to take third, and Messiah's runner in scoring position was nullified: A two-out walk from Freshman David Adams put runners on second and third once more, but Ranck popped out to end the threat.
In their half of the seventh, the Cardinals loaded the bases with two outs against senior Elliot Thomas before a passed ball allowed the winning run to score.
“It was unfortunate the way it ended,” Engle said. “We had the opportunity to win the game and to lose it like we did was very disappointing.
In reality, and this is what I told the team, all it really means is we won't go undefeated this season,” Engle continued. “Win or lose, we have the opportunity to learn more about ourselves as a team and individuals, and I think the players learned a lot about themselves today.”
Mellinger highlighted a much better offensive performance from the Falcons in the nightcap, as the freshman collected three hits in three at-bats for a four-hit day in all. Shenk added two hits of his own for a Falcons team that collected 12 hits and five walks from the plate.
“We did some good things at the plate,” Engle said. “We hit the ball hard. I think Paul (Mellinger) and Dan (Etter) swung the bat well for us. Each had a key hit in the later innings to make the game close.”
Defensively, the Falcons also showed improvement in Game Two, committing just two errors after four in the opener.
“Adam (Ranck) and Jon (Shenk) are very solid at their positions. Both are seniors, experienced players, and they're very good defensively,” Engle said. “They made some good plays for us today.”
Messiah will be back in action Monday, where the team will face another opponent on a neutral field: The Falcons will travel to Bridgewater College to take on Cazenovia College. Game time for the first of two is set for 12 p.m.
