Box Score Game 1 -
Box Score Game 2
Ft. Pierce, FL - The Messiah Falcons (3-5) began their Florida trip with a doubleheader sweep of the Richard Stockton Ospreys (3-4) on Monday afternoon. Senior
Tory Arnesen tossed a complete game four-hitter in the first one and
Paul Broomell gave the Falcons five strong innings in the nightcap.
“It was a nice start for us,” Messiah's head baseball coach Steve DeRiggs said. “Twenty-one hits in two seven-inning games is excellent, and we had very nice pitching from all three pitchers. It just gave us a nice jumpstart to the season. When we leave Florida, we go right into conference play, and I think this was a great way to begin.”
Arnesen (1-1) was masterful in his start, going the distance for his first complete game of the season. He limited the Ospreys to just four hits and one run. Arnesen didn't walk a batter and struck out two.
“I was very encouraged by Tory today,” DeRiggs said. “He gave us an excellent effort today against a quality opponent, and his form is really getting better as the games go on.”
The Falcons backed Arnesen with four first-inning runs before he ever took the mound.
Jacob Sprengle and
David Sletta highlighted the rally with two-out hits. Messiah picked up two more runs in the fifth inning when Sprengle and Sletta ripped back-to-back RBI doubles. For the game, the sophomore roommates combined for six hits (three of them doubles) and six runs batted in.
“There's a fine line between being aggressive and being non-productive, and we were aggressive in a productive way,” DeRiggs said. “We had two-out hits, which tend to be very difficult on the opponent. We were really pleased that we were able to move people around like we did.”
The Ospreys scored their lone run on a solo home run in the fourth inning. Arnesen finished the game strong, retiring the final five batters he faced, and allowing just one hit after the fourth inning homer.
In the second game, Broomell (1-1) turned in the usual strong performance the Falcons have grown accustomed to from the sophomore. He pitched five innings, allowing just two runs (one earned). Broomell limited the Ospreys to four hits, struck out three, and picked up his first win of the season.
“Paul has been a breath of fresh air for us this season,” DeRiggs said. “He was extremely on target, he's very competitive, he's focused, and he's a joy to coach.”
Broomell effectively worked his way out of several jams through his five innings. He induced a pop up to first base with two men on in the first inning. A diving catch by reigning All-Conference left fielder
Sam Tajiri ended the threat in the second inning. And a nice running catch by Sletta got the Falcons out of another two-on jam.
Messiah was held scoreless through the first four innings by Richard Stockton starter Mark Crescenzi, but pieced together three runs in the fifth on five singles. The runs were all the support Broomell needed, and senior
Zach Adams came in to pitch the final two innings in relief.
Adams held the Ospreys scoreless and escaped a two-on, two-out jam in the bottom of the last inning to earn his second save of the season.
“It's nice to be on the other side of the one-run games,” DeRiggs said. “It shows a lot of character when we have adversity. We're really proud of the way the team played today.”
Messiah's offense was led by Sprengle and Sletta, but also freshman
Derek Drake (four hits, three runs scored), senior
John Brubaker (three hits), and sophomore
Jon Lapp (three hits).
The Falcons play two separate nine-inning contests on Tuesday, the first a 10:00 a.m. game against Keystone College and the next at 1:30 p.m. game against Northwood University.
