Grantham, PA - The Messiah baseball team swept the Lebanon Valley Dutchmen on Sunday afternoon by scores of 11-1 and 3-1.
 
In Game One the Falcons took down the Dutchmen 11-1 by scoring a run in the first before a nine-run outburst in the third to take a commanding 10-0 lead. Joseph Saufley capped off the big third inning with a three-run homer to right field with two away. John Griffitts threw a complete game victory allowing seven hits and one run to secure the much needed victory for the Falcons.
 
Saufley (3-4), Adam Janney (3-5), and Andrew Eyster (3-4) each collected three hits at the plate. Messiah collected 18 hits in the contest, their most in a dingle game since the 15-inning game marathon against Lynchburg at the end of February.
 
Playing as the visiting team due to the last minute location change, the Falcons got on the board first with a run in the top of the first. Ben Sollenberger and Adam Janney led off the game with singles to put runners on the corners. Two batters later, Kyle Schoen hit a groundball to third that was misplayed by the Dutchmen third baseman that allowed Sollenberger to scamper home from third.
 
Messiah added to their lead with nine runs in the third. The inning started with four straight singles to give Messiah a 3-0 lead. With one out and two on, Jon Mullin delivered a double deep into the left-field corner. Later in the inning, Andrew Eyster collected an infield single to score another run and continue the rally. Eyster then stole second to put two in scoring position for Sollenberger. Sollenberger went shopping in the right-centerfield gap for a double that gave Messiah a 7-0 lead. An infield single for Janney set the stage for Joseph Saufley, who hit his team-leading fifth home run of the season over the right-field wall on the third pitch he saw. Saufley's homer put a cap on a nine-run, nine-hit inning for Messiah.
 
The nine, third-inning, runs are the most for a Messiah team in a single inning since the Falcons scored 10 runs in the seventh inning of a MAC Commonwealth playoff game against Widener on May 6, 2010 (a 22-10, Falcons win).
 
In the fourth, Josh Hayner added the Falcons' 11th run of the day with a double down the right-field line that scored Jon Mullin from first. Mullin had singled up the middle with two away right before Hayner stepped to the plate.
 
The Dutchmen scored one run in the sixth on a pair of doubles, but it was wasn't enough as the Falcons came away with the 11-1 victory.
 
John Griffitts pitched a seven-inning complete game allowing seven hits and one earned run. Griffitts struck out two batters while allowing one walk.
 
In Game Two, Messiah used a stellar, six-inning outing by Steven Ridings (three hits, one unearned run, and eight strikeouts) along with a few key hits in the early innings to win 3-1 and take a double-header sweep against the Dutchmen. Drew Betz threw a perfect seventh inning to secure the victory for Messiah.
 
Ridings worked around a single hit in both the first and the second to keep the game scoreless after the Falcons' offense was held in check through the opening frames. In the top of the third the Falcons got on the board first. A walk and a pair of singles loaded the bases with one away for Josh Good. Good sent the second pitch he saw into centerfield, scoring Sollenberger from third and Saufley from second to give Messiah the 2-0 lead.
 
Still leading 2-0, Ben Sollenberger added an insurance run in the fourth with a solo home run over the left field fence on the first pitch he saw with two away. The blast was Sollenberger's fourth of the season and gave Messiah a 3-0 lead.
 
The 3-0 lead remained for Messiah as Ridings turned the Dutchmen away in order for the second-straight inning in the fourth. Lebanon Valley did get on the board in the bottom of the fifth with an unearned run. The inning almost ended on a double-play ball, but the feed to second was wide of the bag from third and the very next batter hit a sacrifice fly to center to bring home a run. Messiah got out of the inning without any more damage and the final six Dutchmen were sat down in order.
 
After a perfect sixth inning Ridings gave way to reliever Drew Betz. Betz pitched a perfect seventh inning with a pair of strikeouts to record his third save of the season and give Messiah a 3-1 victory.
 
On the day Messiah had seven different Falcons collect three or more hits including, Sollenberger (4-8, 2B, HR, 4R, 3RBI) Janney (3-8, 2R), Saufley (4-8, HR, 3RBI, 3R), Mullin (3-6, 2 2B, 2R, RBI), Eyster (3-7, R, RBI) Schoen (3-7, 2B, R, RBI), Good (3-7, 3, 3RBI).
 
Messiah will next take the field on Friday afternoon when they travel to Hood College to take on the Blazers at 3:30 in Frederick, Md.