By Cody Swartz, GoMessiah.com reporter
Baltimore, MD — Following a three-day Easter weekend, Messiah couldn't hang on to an early lead at Johns Hopkins University, falling by a 6-4 score Monday. Despite outplaying the Blue Jays — ranked seventh in the latest ABCA Top 25 Poll — for the majority of the contest, the Falcons couldn't capitalize on key opportunities in dropping its third straight game.
Meanwhile, the Blue Jays captured their 12th straight win — coming by the closest margin of any during the streak.
“We didn't give our best performance today,” said Bryan Engle, Messiah head coach. “When you play one of the top teams in the nation, you have to be sharp on every facet of the game, and we weren't.”
Starting another tough week that culminates in a three-game series with Alvernia University in a span of 24 hours this Friday and Saturday, Engle went with a pitcher-by-committee staff for Monday's nine-inning tilt at Blue Jay Diamond.
Sophomore Nate Roten received the start. The right-hander worked three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and one walk. Roten, who leads the Falcons in ERA this season (0.98 in 18.1 innings pitched), departed with a one-run lead.
“I thought Nate threw really well today, especially since it was against one of the top teams in the nation,” Engle said. “He was around the zone with his off-speed pitches and mixed his selection well.”
Classmate Eric Spring relieved Roten and was hit hard in the fourth inning, yielding four runs. Spring (2-2) took home the loss for the day, giving up six hits against six batters faced.
“(Johns Hopkins) capitalized in their half of the fourth,” Engle said, noting that two of the Blue Jays' hits that came with an 0-2 count.
Following six straight singles to open the home half of the fourth, Engle inserted junior Josh Hershberger for Spring, and the results were positive: Hershberger retired the Blue Jays to close out the frame and pitched the fifth and sixth innings as well. The Quarryville, Pa. native finished the day with virtually identical numbers to teammate Roten: Three innings pitched, no runs, one hit, and two walks.
Sophomore Zach Adams and senior Elliot Thomas closed out the day on the mound for the Falcons, each giving up a single run.
Offensively, the Falcons' bats did not take advantage of some early opportunities that could have resulted in big innings.
Sophomore Sam Tajiri led off the game by reaching on a hit by pitch and freshman Paul Mellinger singled through the right side to put two men on for sophomore Wes Hollenbach. An untimely double play put two outs on the board, however, and after a walk by senior Sheldon Witmer, sophomore Tory Arnesen's fly out ended the inning.
Two men reached in the Falcons' half of the second inning and three more in the third, but Messiah was able to put up just a single run, coming when Mellinger scored on a throwing error by the Blue Jays' pitcher.
In the fourth inning, the Falcons loaded the bases with no one out on a single, a walk, and a hit batsman, but the team was able to produce just a single run, coming on Tajiri's sacrifice fly to right field.
Down by four in the ninth inning, the Falcons put together a two-out rally, as senior Dan Etter reached on a hit by pitch, and Tajiri's two-out triple and subsequent score on a throwing error by the shortstop brought the Falcons to within two runs.
Unfortunately, it was too little, too late, as Johns Hopkins' Aaron Schwartz was able to record a bases-empty strikeout, ending the game.
Tajiri – who leads the team in hitting (.400) – paced the offense, collecting a single, a triple and two RBI. Ranck had two hits of his own and Witmer reached base in three of his four plate appearances.
Messiah will resume play Wednesday, hosting Susquehanna University to Starry Field. Game time for the nine-inning affair is set for 4 p.m.
