By Cody Swartz, GoMessiah.com reporter
Grantham, PA — In a game that featured a roller coaster of emotions, Messiah held off a furious ninth-inning rally by visiting Susquehanna University Wednesday, claiming a dramatic, 14-12 win. The 26 total runs scored marked the third highest-scoring game in Bryan Engle's three years as the Falcons' head coach, while the 35 combined hits were far and away a single-game high this season.
Coming into the afternoon's contest, Engle had said he hoped his team would have a catalyst to spark the team.
He sure got one in leadoff hitter Sam Tajiri, who played an instrumental role in the Falcons' victory.
The sophomore collected five hits in five trips to the plate, scoring all five times. Tajiri – who hit the first home run of his NCAA career in arguably his finest collegiate performance to date – finished the day with four runs batted in, while improving his team-leading batting average to a stellar .455 for the season.
“Our offense led the way today,” Engle said. “There are days where you're going to have good hitting and today was just one of those days.”
Each team sent five pitchers to the mound to try to stifle the other's offense, but in the end, hitting shone for both teams. The slugfest – which lasted a full three hours and 11 minutes – featured four doubles and four home runs in all.
Susquehanna (10-12) jumped to an early 3-0 lead against freshman starting pitcher Andrew Martin, but Messiah (9-11) battled back early.
Tajiri started the Falcons' half of the first with a base hit. He advanced to third on a base hit by freshman Paul Mellinger, before scoring on a sacrifice fly by senior Sheldon Witmer.
Falcons' sophomore relief pitcher Davin Okerblom kept the Crusaders scoreless in the second and third frames while the Falcons' bats battled back.
Senior Adam Ranck led off the second inning with a single. Junior Jordan Snader singled and senior Jon Shenk drew a one-out walk to load the bases for Tajiri. Tajiri, who delivered with a single to center field that cleared the bases, wound up on second base following a throwing error by the center fielder.
The Allentown, Pa. native promptly stole third base and scored on a throwing error to give the Falcons a 5-3 lead after just two frames.
“Sam (Tajiri) is one of those guys who is going to keep you honest,” Engle said. “He is a great hitter, he can beat out a ground ball, and he has tremendous speed.”
In the third inning, the Crusaders put runners on second and third with just one out against Okerblom, but a heads-up play from third baseman Ranck to sophomore catcher Ryan Brown nailed a runner at the plate, as the Falcons were able to get out of the inning unscathed.
The Crusaders tacked on four runs in their portion of the fourth inning to take the lead, but the Falcons answered right back with four of their own in the bottom half of the inning.
Brown led off the inning with a walk. Following a base hit by Shenk, Tajiri laid down a textbook bunt. The fleet-footed Tajiri then beat the throw to first base and an errant throw scored both Brown and Shenk, sending Tajiri to third.
Freshman Matt Turman, hitting in the number two spot for the day, followed with a two-run homer to regain the lead for the Falcons.
The Crusaders fought back with a pair of solo home runs in the fifth and sixth innings that tied the game, but the Falcons grabbed the lead right back in the home half of the sixth.
Tajiri led off the inning with a solo home run to right-center field, an opposite field blast that just cleared the fence. Turman, who followed with a single, stole second, advanced to third base on a ground ball and scored on an RBI single from senior Jordan Zimmerman.
Turman finished with three hits and three stolen bases on the day.
“Any time you get eight hits from the top two guys in your batting order, you're doing something right,” Engle said. “I can't ask for more than that. We tweaked our lineup a little today and it paid off. Sam (Tajiri) led the way today and Matt (Turman) was right behind him, creating havoc on the base paths.”
Susquehanna added a run in the seventh inning against sophomore relief pitcher Zach Adams and another in the eighth against freshman Josh Hershberger, this one tying the game at 11 runs apiece.
Tajiri led off the eighth inning for the Falcons, beating out a ground ball to the left side of the infield, and moving all the way to third base on a throwing error. Tajiri – who forced four errors from the Crusaders on the day – scored one batter later when Turman laced a single for the go-ahead run.
Turman, who stole second, led a double steal after freshman Paul Mellinger walked, to put runners on second and third base with no one out. Sophomore Wes Hollenbach then pinch hit with one out and smashed a two-run single to right field, driving in what would prove to be the winning runs.
The Falcons finished the day 6-10 with runners in scoring position.
“When we take advantages of our opportunities like we did today, we're going to win a lot of games,” Engle said.
Senior Elliot Thomas (1) pitched the ninth inning for the Falcons, earning the save. After consecutive fly outs to start the frame, a dropped third strike kept the Crusaders' slim hopes alive. When the next batter doubled in a run and the subsequent hitter singled to put the go-ahead run at the plate, the game appeared to be wide open.
Fortunately for the Falcons, Thomas bore down and struck out the final batter, preserving the win. The big right-hander picked up the team's first save of the season, while Hershberger (1-0) earned the win thanks to his work in the eighth.
For the day, the Falcons used 18 players in their win, a day that will be remembered as one of the most explosive offensive days in recent years for the Falcons.
“They say the hotter the weather is, the harder the ball is going to travel,” Engle said. “That was certainly the case today.”
The Falcons must now shift focus back to the Commonwealth Conference, as a big three-game series with Alvernia University this weekend. A newcomer to the Commonwealth side of the MAC this season, Alvernia qualified for NCAA post-season action last year, and was picked to win the conference title in this year's pre-season coaches' poll.
“(Alvernia) is going to be a big test for us,” Engle said. “We need to play soundly. We can't make any base running errors, we need to play good defense, and continue to take advantages of our opportunities at the plate if we want to win.”
The series starts with a home game on Starry Field at 3:30 p.m. Friday. The Falcons will then travel to Reading, Pa. for a Saturday double-header, with the first pitch slated to be thrown at 12 p.m.
