Winchester, VA – The Messiah baseball team traveled to Shenandoah University for a non-conference battle with the Hornets on Wednesday afternoon. The No. 8 Shenandoah Hornets scored early and often to take the contest by an 18-4 final.
Right out of the gate the Falcons threaten with runners on the corners and no outs after
AJ Steindel led off the game with a double and
Joseph Saufley singled to left. Unfortunately for the Falcons, the Hornets escaped the inning without any damage by collecting a strikeout, a caught stealing, and a line out to end the inning.
In the bottom of the first the Hornets jumped all over Messiah starter,
Jordan Nichols. Shenandoah collected three extra-base hits in the frame including two home runs to take a 4-0 lead after one. After a three-up, three-down top of the second, the Hornets went right back to work. Nichols took care of the first two batters in the inning with a strike out and a groundout back to the mound before allowing four-straight singles that brought home three runs.
The Hornets added two more runs in the bottom of the third and took a 9-0 lead heading into the fourth. After a scoreless fourth, Messiah cut into the Hornets' lead with three runs in the top of the fifth.
Josh Hayner delivered a two-run double to left that chased home
Sam Stewart who reached on an error and
Adam Janney who singled earlier in the inning.
Andrew Eyster hit a sacrifice fly to bring home the third run of the frame and make it a 9-3 game.
In the bottom of the frame, the Hornets took advantage of three Messiah errors and scored five runs to take a 14-3 lead and dash any hopes of a Messiah comeback. With momentum on their side, the Hornets put up two more runs in both the sixth and eighth before ultimately winning by a final of 18-4.
At the plate,
Josh Hayner (2-4, 2B, 2 RBI) and
Andrew Eyster (1-2, 2 RBI) led the Falcons driving home all four of Messiah's runs.
The loss drops Messiah to 10-15 on the season. The Falcons next take the field on Friday when they host Lebanon Valley College on 3:30 p.m. to begin a three-game series with the Dutchmen.