Grantham, PA – Messiah baseball won a tight 2-0 contest in game one before routing Stevenson University 13-6 in game two to complete the series sweep over the weekend. Griffitts pitched a complete-game shutout on his Senior Day in the first game, and the Falcons exploded for 15 hits while taking advantage of five Mustang errors in the second game.
 
Game 1
John Griffitts ended his home Messiah career with a bang, throwing a complete-game shutout while allowing seven hits and striking out seven. Messiah was outhit by Stevenson, only recording five base knocks in the game, but the Mustangs committed three errors to zero for the Falcons.
 
Mustang starter Zach Kaye matched Griffitts for the first five innings, only running into a little bit of trouble in the bottom of the fourth. Messiah loaded the bases with one out on a walk, error, and bunt single, but a failed squeeze bunt and a popout to second ended the threat.
 
In the top of the sixth, Griffitts had his toughest inning, as Stevenson led off with a walk and a single to put two on with no out. After a failed bunt attempt was popped up to Fry at third for the first out, Alex Kidwiler laced a single into the right-center gap that appeared as if it was going to get the Mustangs on the board. However, a great relay from Ryan Adamus to Austin Pletcher to Sam Stewart at home nailed the runner trying to score from second. As soon as he made the tag, Stewart saw the other runner cheating off of third and caught him in a rundown, with Fry eventually putting on the tag for the unconventional 8-4-2-5 double play.
 
Messiah finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth, as after two quick outs, Adam Janney singled up the middle and was brought all the way around from first on a double from Hunter Brindle down the right field line. Kyle Wickenheiser then hit a sharp liner right at the third baseman, who whiffed entirely on the catch attempt, allowing the ball to get out into left field and score Brindle from second.
 
Griffitts came back out for the top of the seventh, and retired the Mustangs in order with two strikeouts and a groundout to give Messiah the 2-0 victory and guarantee their first conference series win of the season.
 
Game 2
Runs were much easier to come by in the second game, as Messiah scored in every inning except the fifth, including scoring six in the fourth. Kyle Wickenheiser was 3-3 at the plate with two runs scored and two RBIs and Austin Pletcher was 2-4 with a pair of RBIs. Sam Stewart had just one hit but drove in three runs. Hunter Brindle also continued his hot streak, going 2-4 with three runs scored and an RBI.
 
After starter Brandon Shirk retired the Mustangs in the top of the first, Messiah tallied two runs in very unconventional ways in the bottom of the inning. Mark Lauria and Austin Pletcher got on first and second with no outs, and attempted a double steal. The catcher's throw down to second sailed far over the shortstop's head, and Pletcher was then able to trot home from third. After Adam Janney reached on an error that moved Lauria to third, the double steal was again attempted, but Janney was thrown out at second. Lauria still scored, however, putting Messiah up 2-0.
 
The Falcons tacked on one run in the second on Kyle Wickenheiser's third home run of the season, and then two more in the third on RBIs from Sam Stewart and Wickenheiser. The Mustangs had taken a 4-3 lead in the top of the inning, but Wickenheiser's single put Messiah back on top 5-4.
 
Messiah broke the game wide open in the bottom of the fourth, scoring six runs on seven hits including a pair of two-run homers. Jimmy Kustra led off with a single, and then Austin Pletcher hit the first home run of the inning down the left-field line. After two outs, the rally began in earnest, as Adam Janney reached on an error, advancing to second, before Hunter Brindle singled him home. On a 3-1 pitch, Sam Stewart launched his first home run of the season, clearing the 375 sign in left with ease. In his second at-bat of the inning, Kustra would lace an RBI single to right to give Messiah an 11-4 lead.
 
Shirk had a rough top of the fifth on the mound, giving up two runs on two walks, a hit-by-pitch, and an error. Drew Betz came in for Shirk with two on and two outs, and got Michael Rhodes to pop out to short on the first pitch to end the inning.
 
The Falcons tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the sixth, and Chase Peiffer held the Mustangs scoreless in the top of the seventh to close out the game and give Messiah a 13-6 victory.
 
With their sixth-straight win, the Falcons improve to 16-21 on the year and finish the conference season in sixth place at 8-13. They close out the 2017 season on Tuesday when they travel to Frostburg State wth a 4:00 p.m. start.