Box Score Game 1 |
Box Score Game 2
Glenside, PA - Glenside, PA – Messiah College dropped the first of two games to Arcadia University on Wednesday, losing 4-2 on the road.
Steven Ridings completed six innings for the Falcons, as he allowed four earned runs on 11 hits.
The Knights started quickly by scoring single runs in each of the first and second innings. Justin Smith scored the first run, coming home on a single by Jerry Smith after landing at second base with a one-out double. In the next inning, Arcadia used some small ball to make good on singles by Brandon Martin and George Pagan to open the frame. Patrick Kwiatkowski moved them both into scoring position with a sac bunt, and Nick Petroski followed with a sac fly RBI to right field.
Down 2-0, Messiah cut their deficit in half in the top of the third. With
Jon Heisey on third base and two outs,
Jacob Sprengle reached on an error by third baseman Michael Nessel to draw Messiah to within 2-1.
But Arcadia responded quickly, getting back that run and adding another off Ridings in the bottom of the third. Elliott Freeman collected an RBI double to left-centerfield to make it 3-1, and Jay Zehring singled to left to score Freeman and put the Knights up 4-1.
Messiah was unable to break through against Jordan Hofferman the rest of the way, as he completed five innings and allowed just two hits.
Johan van Bemmelen relieved Hofferman, with the Falcons finally putting together another rally. Sprengle led off the sixth inning with a triple and, after
Casey Ebersole lined out to first base, came home on a sac fly by
Derek Drake.
Van Bemmelen settled down after that, recording four more outs to end the game in the Knights' favor.
Game Two
The Falcons won Game Two 3-2 behind a strong pitching performance from
Jon Lapp and some late-inning heroics from
Jeremiah Eaton and
Derek Drake.
Eaton provided the big offensive blow for Messiah, hitting a solo home run in the top of the seventh to give Messiah a 3-1 lead. In the bottom of the seventh-- the Knights' last at-bat-- right fielder
Derek Drake threw out David Jacobs at home for the final out as Jacobs was trying to score from second on a single through the right side.
Lapp went the full seven innings on the mound, allowing eight hits and allowed just two unearned runs. He struck out five batters.
Drake's impressive, game-ending throw came after Arcadia managed to push across a run to make it 3-2 in favor of Messiah. Jacobs collected the RBI hit for the Knights, and moved to second base on a single by Jerry Smith. With two outs and runners on first and second, Elliott Freeman singled to right field where Drake came through to nab Jacobs in his attempt to tie the game.
The final out preserved an exciting-- and much-needed-- win for the Falcons. The decision moves the Falcons to 5-12 overall, including 2-3 in the Commonwealth.
Messiah seemed poised to collect the decision, especially with Lapp leading the way. The Falcons gave Lapp a 2-0 lead to work with in the third inning, with Eaton scoring on a wild pitch and
Matt Turman coming home on a sac bunt by
Zach Brubaker.
Arcadia came within 2-1 in the sixth inning when Michael Nessel scored from second base on an error by Drake. Eaton provided a bit of breating room in the seventh with his solo blast to right field, with Drake making up for his previous error to close the game in dramatic fashion.
Lapp held the Knights hitless in the third, fourth, and fifth innings, working around two walks in the fifth inning to preserve the lead.
Messiah will host the Knights on Monday in a single game to start at 3:30 p.m.
