Frederick, MD - The Messiah Falcons split their double-header at Hood Saturday afternoon, taking Game One 7-2 before falling in Game Two 11-4. The Falcons hit three home runs on the afternoon and Derek Drake continuted hit a homer in his third consecutive game.

Game One
The Messiah Falcons took Game One over the Hood Blazers 7-2 behind a complete game from Steven Ridings. The Falcons hit a pair of home runs in the victory, one from Jon Mullin and another from Derek Drake. Drake's home run marked the third straight game that he has left the yard.
 
The Falcons and Blazers played scoreless baseball through the first three innings in game one before the Falcons got on the board with three runs in the top of the fourth. With two outs in the fourth, Jon Heisey singled home Derek Drake before Jon Mullin homered to left. The home run scored Heisey and gave the Falcons a 3-0 lead.
 
In the bottom of the frame the Blazers got two runs back, scoring on a Falcons' error to pull to within one. Both of the runs were unearned, but the Falcons only held a 3-2 lead heading into the fifth.
 
In the fifth, Adam Janney executed a squeeze that allowed John Griffitts to score and push the Falcons' lead to 4-2. Messiah added another run in the top of the sixth when Jon Heisey came around to score on a bases loaded double play ball.
 
After a quick bottom half of the sixth, the Falcons added two more in the seventh. With one-out Derek Drake stepped to the plate with the bases empty and pulled a ball down the leftfield line that cleared the fence for a solo home run. The home run was Drake's third career and third in as many games. The streak of three games with a home run marks the first time a Falcon has homered in three consecutive games in over ten years. Chris Heisey was the last to do it in late April 2004.
 
Jon Heisey added the Falcons last run on a sacrifice fly to center scoring Saufley from third.
 
Steven Ridings put the finishing touches on a complete game victory in the bottom of the seventh. Ridings threw seven innings while allowing two runs (both unearned) on five hits and three walks. He struck out seven in his third complete game of the year.
 
Drake, Saufley and Heisey all collected two hits in Game One and Heisey and Mullin each collected two RBI.

Game Two
In Game Two, the Falcons picked up right where they left off when Joseph Saufley homered to center field to give the Falcons an early 1-0 lead.
 
After trading scoreless frames in the second, the Blazers tied the game in the bottom of the third on a double to right field. Falcons' starter David Nicolais limited the damage, as he retired the next three Blazers in order.
 
After the Falcons failed to bring in a runner from third with two outs in the top fo the fourth, the Blazers scored five runs in the bottom of the frame to take their first lead of the game. Hood used four hits and one costly Messiah error to push the runs across and take a 6-1.
 
Saufley got two runs back for the Falcons with a two-RBI double with two away in the top of the fifth. The double brought the Falcons to within three, but a three-run bottom of the fifth pushed the Hood lead to 9-3.
 
Collin Fry singled in a run in the sixth, but two more Blazer runs in the sixth and a one-two-three inning by the Falcons gave the Blazers Game Two by a final score of 11-4.
 
The win for the Blazers is their first victory in Commonwealth Conference play since they became a team at the beginning of this season. Hood was 0-12 in conference play entering the double-header with the Falcons.
 
Saufley (two hits, home run, and three RBI) and Adam Janney (3-4 with a run scored) led the Falcons on offense in Game Two.
 
The Blazers and Falcons will complete the three game series on Monday afternoon when the Blazers travel to Grantham, to make up the postponed game from Friday. First Pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.