Box Score Game 1 -
Box Score Game 2
Annville, PA - Eight errors told the story in Messiah's conference opening doubleheader with the LVC Flying Dutchmen, as the Falcons split the two Saturday games. Messiah (5-9, 1-1) won the first one by a 10-1 score on a complete game gem from senior ace
Tory Arnesen and an early offensive output that included six first-inning runs.
The Falcons couldn't carry the momentum to the second game, falling behind 8-0 in the first inning of the nightcap. Messiah rebounded to score 13 runs in just seven innings and put forth a desperate late rally but came just short, losing 17-13 in a game that qualifies as a near-heartbreaker.
“Hitting can only do so much, and when we don't pitch well or field the ball, it's not going to work,” Messiah head coach Steve DeRiggs said. “We just needed more shutdown innings than we got. Fortunately, we still have another game to play on Monday. We're at home and we are just going to have to play better to take the series.”
Scoring runs sure wasn't the problem for Messiah, as the team scored 23 total runs and collected 31 hits in 14 innings of play. Every single starter had multiple hits, five collected at least three hits, and sophomore
Jon Lapp led the offensive barrage with a 5-for-6 day at the plate, raising his season average to .406.
The downfall however was the almost unheard-of number of errors. Four different players made errors in the doubleheader, leading to eight unearned runs on the day. The Messiah Falcons have now committed 34 errors in just 14 games, putting the team at nearly 2.5 per game.
“At this time in the year, we don't have a lot of time to practice like we wish we would,” DeRiggs said. “We are playing five games per week so it's a luxury we don't have. We know we can do better on defense, and we've seen the guys who have been making errors for us play great defense, and we just need them to start doing it.”
With Arnesen on the hill in the first game, the Falcons likely didn't need to score too many runs, considering how good the reigning First-Team All-Conference pitcher has been. Messiah gave Arnesen a comfortable 6-0 lead though before he ever set foot on the mound, with 12 different hitters stepping to the plate in the first inning.
Arnesen (2-1) was masterful as usual, throwing seven three-hit innings for his second consecutive complete game. He gave up just one unearned run, lowering his season ERA to 1.50 in the process. Arnesen walked just one batter, struck out two, and induced an incredible 17 ground ball outs, picking up the win.
“Tory was excellent for us,” DeRiggs said. “His command was spot on, he had terrific velocity, he kept pounding the strike zone, and it was an all-around very impressive performance. When he's on, he's tough to beat.”
Messiah's offense kept hitting, putting up three more runs in the sixth to reach double-digits for the first game. Senior
John Brubaker was the catalyst at the plate in the first game, hitting a double, triple, and driving in three runs while scoring twice.
Game Two
In the second game, the Falcons went down in an even bigger hole than they gave the Dutchmen in the first game, falling down 8-0 after a miserable first inning that saw LVC rip five extra-base hits and take advantage of two Messiah errors.
The Falcons responded slowly, putting up two runs in the second inning, one in the third, one in the fourth, and four more in the fifth inning. Unfortunately, the Messiah bullpen couldn't keep the Dutchmen from adding to their lead, and the Falcons entered their last licks in the seventh inning down 17-8.
Messiah put together what would likely have been a game-winning rally had there not been so many errors; five runs in their final trip at-bat – highlighted by
Jacob Sprengle's three-run blast to right field – cut the deficit to 17-13 before it was too late.
Sophomore
Paul Broomell (1-2) took the loss in the contest.
Offensively, Lapp collected five hits and a walk, scoring four times and driving in four runs. Brubaker contributed with four hits of his own, falling a home run short of the cycle for the day, while scoring four times and driving in three. Senior
Sam Tajiri collected four hits, Sprengle had three including a home run and five RBIs, and senior
Ryan Brown reached base six times and scored four runs.
The Falcons wrap up the doubleheader on their home field on Monday. Game time for the contest is slated for 3:30 p.m.
