Grantham, PA - Hood College scored three runs apiece in the third and sixth innings en route to a 7-4 win over Messiah baseball on Thursday afternoon.
The Falcons managed to outhit the Blazers 10-9, but three consecutive walks in the sixth inning all came around to score for Hood.
Jordan Nichols went 5 1/3 innings for Messiah, giving up six runs, four earned, on six hits while striking out six.
Josh Hayner and
Colin Fry each had two hits and an RBI for the Falcons, as Fry extended his hitting streak to eight games and on-base streak to 31 contests.
Messiah took the first lead of the game in the bottom of the first, as
Ben Wilson doubled to deep left and was brought home by a Fry single. A few batters later,
Kyle Schoen singled up the middle to score Fry and put the Falcons up 2-0.
In the top of the third, Hood got a rally going the unconventional way, with one batter reaching on an error and then two consecutive bunt base-hits to load the bases with no outs. The Blazers' Jordan Patterson worked a full count before singling through the hole at short to bring home a pair of runs. The Falcons then drew the infield in with a runner on third, and it paid dividends as Nichols got the batter to ground to third, where Fry quickly scooped it up and fired home for the out. However, the next batter hit a sacrifice fly to score the third run of the inning, and Hood took a 3-2 lead into the 4th.
The top of the sixth was where Nichols was bitten with the walk bug, as after a strikeout, he walked three consecutive Blazers.
Matt Wright entered in relief and proceeded to induce a sharp grounder to shortstop that
Austin Mellinger was able to fire home for the forceout. With two outs, Patterson came up again and knocked a two-run single to right for his third and fourth RBIs of the game. Another run would score in the inning, and Hood took a 6-2 lead.
Messiah got on back in the bottom of the inning as Schoen singled to lead off the inning, advanced to second on a passed ball, and was then brought home by a
Ryan Adamus double over the left-fielder's head to cut the deficit to three.
Hood pushed across an insurance run in the top of the ninth on a sacrifice fly. With the Falcons down to their final three outs, JJ Robinson led off the bottom of the inning with a walk.
Jimmy Kustra then hit a screaming line drive that unfortunately was headed straight for the shortstop, who gloved it for the out.
Josh Hayner then poked a double down the left field line that got into the corner, knocking around long enough for Robinson to score all the way from first. With the margin at three, 7-4, Hood decided to bring in their closer, who just so happened to be the thorn in the Falcons' side all game, Jordan Patterson. He got Wilson to strike out and then Fry to ground out to end the inning and the game, giving Hood the 7-4 win.
Messiah falls to 9-16 on the year and 3-10 in the MAC Commonwealth. The three-game set with Hood continues with a doubleheader under the lights on Monday night in Frederick. First pitch of game one is set for 5:00 p.m.
