Grantham, PA - Messiah College scored seven runs to build a big lead en route to a 7-2 victory over Eastern Mennonite on Wednesday afternoon.
Billy Bendig earned his first career win, going five shutout innings. He allowed just two hits while striking out two.
Kyle Schoen and
Matt Simeone each collected multi-hit games to lead the Falcons offense. Simeone drove in two runs on a single up the middle in the bottom of the fourth.
Bendig was effective at escaping jams; in each of the first four innings he stranded at least one Royal in scoring position. In his five innings, Bendig left a total of seven runners on base without allowing a run.
After a scoreless first, the Falcons got on the board in the bottom of the second when Collin Fry collected a two-out RBI single that brought
Josh Good home.
In the fourth, the Falcons pieced together a rally that brought home three more runs and push their lead to 4-0. With one-out
Kyle Schoen singled up the middle and Good walked to put runners on first and second. After a routine fly ball, Messiah took advantage of an error on the Royals' third baseman that allowed a run to score and the inning to continue.
After a defensive indifference put two runners in scoring position, Matt Simone singled up the middle. While the Royals' shortstop kept Simeone's hit in the infield, his throw to the plate was late and two Falcons came home on the play.
In the top of the fifth, Bendig completed a big shutdown inning as he pitched his lone three up, three down inning of the game in his final frame. In the bottom of the inning,
Joseph Saufley drove home
Derek Drake on a double to right center field to give the Falcons a 5-0 lead.
After a scoreless sixth, the Falcons plated two insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh one on an error and another on a Drake sacrifice fly.
While the Royals would score a run in the eighth and add another run in the ninth, it wouldn't be enough as the Falcons would come away with a 7-2 victory.
With the win the Falcons improve to .500 on the season and they next take the field on Thursday when they travel to Lancaster to take on the Franklin and Marshall Diplomats. Game time is set for 3:30 p.m.
