XML Box Score 1 |
XML Box Score 2
Box Game One |
Box Game Two
Fredericksburg, VA - Messiah College split two games with Mary Washington on Saturday to open the 2014 season.
Game One
The Falcons fell behind quickly in the first game as starter
Evan Young struggled to get a feel on the mound. Young committed an error on the leadoff hitter's grounder, hit the next batter, and then walked the Eagle's Keller to load the bases with no one out. Another walk forced in a run (unearned), as did another hit-by-pitch (earned). Mary Washington bailed out Young a bit with a double play ball to
Zach Brubaker at second base, but a third run crossed the plate (unearned) to make it 3-0.
The Eagles added another run in the second inning after Young walked the leadoff hitter and, after a steal of second base, committed another error to move the runner to third; a passed ball to the next batter allowed the fourth run to score.
Now trailing 4-0, Messiah quickly evened the game with four runs in the third inning.
Jon Heisey,
Jon Lapp, and
Casey Ebersole all singled with out to load the bases, with Brubaker then reaching on a fielder's choice to collect an RBI.
Derek Drake followed with a single to left to make it 4-2, and
Ben Sollenberger walked to force home the Falcons' third run.
Jacob Sprengle grounded out to first base for another RBI to tie the game.
Young settled down after the rough start, and finished four innings without allowing more runs. At the plate the Falcons took the lead in the fourth inning on a two-out single by Ebersole that scored Heisey from second.
The Falcons increased their lead in the sixth inning, taking advantage of runners on second and third with no one out. Heisey (groundout) and Lapp (sac fly) collected RBIs without reaching base to make it 7-4.
As the Falcons' offense scored seven unanswered runs, Young and reliever
Mitch McClure kept the Eagles grounded. After Young ended the fourth inning, McClure sat down the first 13 batters he faced before giving up a one-out single in the ninth inning. He proceeded to load the bases in the ninth inning before ending the game without allowing any runs.
McClure pitched five innings and allowed just two hits and a walk against two strikeouts. Young finished four innings and allowed four runs (one earned) with three walks and three strikeouts. Heisey picked up the lone two-hit game for Messiah while seven different players collected and RBI.
Game Two
Adam Marshall started the second game for Messiah, and retired six of the first seven Eagle batters without allowing a run. But in the third inning Marshall allowed five singles and gave up three runs, putting Messiah in a hole similar to the first game. Four of those hits came with one out, though Marshall avoided further trouble by picking off a runner from third base to end the inning.
Marshall settled down afterwards to allow just two more hits as he finished five innings. Meanwhile, his teammates managed to rally once more with a big inning. This time the Falcons jumped all over the Eagles' first relief pitcher in the sixth inning with back-to-back leadoff singles by
Casey Ebersole and
Zach Brubaker. The rally was initially squashed by Mary Washington, but
Jeremiah Eaton soon reached on a bases-loaded, two-out error on the first baseman to make it 3-2.
Josh Good followed with a clean single to center, tying the game at 3-3.
The teams battled cleanly through the next few innings before Mary Washington walked-off in the bottom of the ninth.
Paul Broomell stayed on the mound after giving up a single hit in the seventh and eighth innings, but quickly worked into trouble by allowing back-to-back singles and a walk to load the bases with no one out. He pounded the zone against the next batter but finally missed outside for ball four, forcing in a run as the Eagles celebrated.
Casey Ebersole (three),
Ben Sollenberger, and
Jacob Sprengle each had multiple hits to contribute to 10 hits for Messiah, though four pitchers combined to allow 11 hits for Mary Washingotn.
The Falcons will next play on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at Dickinson College. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
