Grantham, PA - Grantham, PA - In a classic pitchers dual on Thursday afternoon, the Messiah baseball team fell to the Alvernia Crusaders 2-1. Both teams scored a single run in the fourth inning before the Crusaders took the lead for good in the top of the eighth with an RBI single. Kyle Wickenheiser delivered the lone run for the Falcons with a home run to left in the fourth. It is Wickenheiser's second home run in as many days.

As mentioned the contest was a pitcher's dual the whole way through, Messiah's ace Steven Ridings was advertised tossing eight strong innings allowing two runs (both earned) on seven hits while striking out nine. Opposing Ridings was Alvernia lefty Ryan Sheekey. Sheeky completed a quality start as well, going 7.1 innings while allowing one earned run on five hits. He struck out eight batters in the contest.

The two hurlers traded zeros through each of the first three innings. Both teams benefited from the double-play ball early in the contest, Messiah picked up twin-killings in the first and third while the Crusaders turned one in the first to end a Messiah threat with two on and one down.

In the fourth, the Falcons got into a bit of trouble with one out when Ridings plunked Chris Burns on a 1-1 pitch to put a runner at first. Ridings then struck out the next batter but in the process Burns broke for second and took the bag without a throw. A single through the right side brought Burns home and gave the Crusaders a 1-0 lead.

Messiah didn't waste anytime getting that run back. After two strikeouts started the bottom of the fourth, Kyle Wickenheiser stepped to the dish. Wickenheiser went down and got a 1-1 delivery and drove it out to left field. Wickenheiser's second homer in as many days tied the game at 1-1.

In the fifth, the Crusaders looked to get that run right back but Ridings had other plans. Despite allowing a pair of singles in the frame, Ridings struck out the side, two looking and one swinging.

The two starters scattered a couple base runners across the fifth, sixth, and seventh but neither team put together much of a threat. That changed quickly in the top of the eighth when Nathan Sides led off the inning with a triple down the right field line. Sides came around to score just four pitches later when he was singled home by Connor Boyle, who knocked a 1-2 pitch into leftfield.

Messiah went down in order in the eighth, but put together a rally in the ninth. Joseph Saufley started the inning by getting hit by the first pitch of the frame. With Saufley on standing on first, Messiah had their first base runner since the seventh. Two batters later Wickenheiser was also hit by a pitch, putting runners on first and second with one away. Unfortunately for Messiah a fly out and a line out ended the game and gave the Crusaders a 2-1 victory.

As mentioned pitching was on display for both squads, after Ridings departed after the eighth Drew Betz pitched a perfect ninth inning getting a pair of groundouts.

Despite lowering his season ERA to 2.59, Ridings was saddled with the tough luck loss and falls to 2-3 on the season,

At the dish, Ben Sollenberger led the Falcons with three hits from the leadoff spot including a pair of doubles. Kyle Wickenheiser drove home the only Falcon run with the solo homer in the fourth.

With the loss the Falcons fall to 9-10 overall and 3-1 in the MAC Commonwealth. On the flip side, the win improves the Crusaders to 9-9 overall and 3-1 in the conference. These two teams will square off in a double-dip on Monday afternoon in Reading to complete the three-game series. The first pitch of Game One is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.