Grantham, PA – Strong pitching on both sides highlighted the afternoon doubleheader, as Messiah baseball split with No. 17 Alvernia University, winning 4-2 in game one and falling 1-0 in game two.
 
The Falcons move to 6-8 overall and 2-4 in the MAC Commonwealth.
 
Game 1
 
Messiah starter John Griffitts impressed on the mound, going 5 2/3 innings and giving up five hits and two runs while striking out two. Alvernia outhit Messiah 6-5, but the Falcons only left three runners on base compared to seven for the Crusaders.
 
Ben Wilson hit his first home run of the season to lead off the fourth inning for the Falcons. After a Colin Fry groundout, Adam Janney doubled to deep right center field, followed by a Sam Stewart single through the left side that advanced Janney to third. Some smart baserunning by Messiah followed, as Stewart took off for second on the first pitch to Kyle Wickenheiser, earning a throw from the catcher. As Stewart slid into second safely, Janney took off from third and beat the throw home to put the Falcons on top 2-1. Wickenheiser would strike out, but Hunter Brindle came through with a two-out double to right, scoring Stewart from second to make it 3-1 in favor of Messiah.
 
Alvernia would cut the lead in half with a run in the top of the 6th, resulting in a pitching change with two outs for Messiah to bring in closer Drew Betz. Betz managed to escape a two-on, two-out jam by getting the batter to ground out to Austin Mellinger at short.
 
In the bottom of the inning, Janney started a rally again, this time with a triple that landed just fair deep in the right field corner. Stewart attempted the suicide squeeze to score Janney, but the Crusader first baseman elected to try to throw home for the out and threw it in the dirt past the catcher, resulting in both runners being safe and Messiah adding an important insurance run.
 
Betz came back out and worked a perfect seventh to earn his fourth save of the season, and the Falcons won 4-2.
 
Game 2
 
Alvernia starter Thomas Malik shut down the Messiah bats to the tune of no runs, four hits, and two strikeouts over six innings and Alvernia won by a 1-0 score to earn the 2-1 series victory over the Falcons in MAC Commonwealth action.
 
Messiah southpaw Jordan Nichols was just as impressive, going the distance in a complete-game effort, but gave up a solitary run in the second inning to fall to 1-1 on the year.  
 
Adam Janney had two of the four hits for the Falcons, with Colin Fry and Kyle Wickenheiser notching one apiece. Runners left on base haunted Messiah this time, as they left six stranded compared to three for Alvernia.
 
Messiah had great chances to score in both the fifth and sixth innings, as in the fifth Wickenheiser singled to left, advanced to second on an error by the left fielder, and advanced to third on a passed ball. With nobody out, Brindle struck out swinging and then Austin Pletcher hit a sharp ground ball right to the third baseman, who caught Wickenheiser off the base for the second out to end the chance. In the sixth, the Falcons had runners on first and third with two outs, but Kyle Schoen flied out to right field.
 
Zack Landy came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh for the Crusaders and gave up a one-out walk to Brindle, but the Falcons could not muster a hit and fell 1-0.
 
Messiah returns to action on Tuesday when they travel to Franklin & Marshall College, with first pitch set for 3:30 p.m.