READING, Pa. - After some snow flurries around noon pushed the start time back for Sunday's doubleheader, Messiah baseball suffered a pair of one-run losses to Alvernia University by scores of 1-0 and 4-3.
With the pair of setbacks, Messiah drops to 4-8 on the year and 1-4 in the MAC Commonwealth, with all four conference defeats coming by just one run apiece. Alvernia improves to 13-4 overall and an unblemished 5-0 in the conference.
Game One
Jordan Nichols spun seven innings of one run ball on the mound, but that lone run would be enough for Alvernia as they defeated the Falcons 1-0 in the first game of Sunday afternoon's doubleheader.
In his complete game effort, Nichols allowed just five hits and struck out four. Messiah outhit Alvernia 6-5, as six different Falcons recorded a base hit, but Messiah was 0-5 with runners in scoring position.
Messiah had a couple of chances to get on the board in the game, particularly the top of the second as they had the bases loaded with just one out. However, an infield fly followed by a fielder's choice ended the threat.
Alvernia scored their run in the bottom of the sixth, so the Falcons came to the plate in the top of the seventh needing to score to keep the game alive.
Jimmy Kustra led off with a pinch-hit single and was advanced to second on a
Ryan Hentschel sacrifice bunt. Kustra moved to third on a flyout to right by
Trent Culver to put the tying run 90 feet away with
Adam Janney at the plate. Kyle Gaynor entered to pitch for the Golden Wolves, and promptly released a wild pitch that caused Kustra to break for home. However, the ball managed to ricochet sharply off the brick backstop right back to the catcher, who was able to flip it back to Gaynor for the tag and out at the plate to end the game.
Game Two
The Falcons would not be held off the scoreboard in game two, but a rough bottom of the fourth spelled trouble for starter
Quinton Kuntz as Alvernia was able to hold on for a 4-3 victory in game two.
Kuntz went five innings and gave up four runs (three earned) on eight hits while striking out three.
Matt Wright threw a solid bottom of the sixth for Messiah, striking out two and retiring all three batters he faced.
Trent Culver led the Falcon attack from the plate, going 2-4 with a run scored and two RBI, including his first career collegiate home run.
Messiah had their first credible threat in the top of the third, as
Austin Mellinger walked and back-to-back singles from
Dan Wiederrecht and
Jimmy Kustra loaded the bases with nobody out. Culver followed with a perfectly placed bunt, as everybody was safe and Mellinger scored from third to put the Falcons up 1-0. With hints of a big rally on the horizon, Messiah ran into some bad luck as
Adam Janney ripped a line drive straight to the shortstop, who was able to make the catch and flip the ball back to second before Kustra could tag to get the double play.
The Falcons still had a chance to add more runs though, as
Colin Fry stepped to the plate with the two outs and runners on first and third. Fry delivered in the clutch with an RBI single through the left side to score Wiederrecht and push the advantage to 2-0.
Josh Hayner followed with a walk to load the bases again, but
Sam Stewart struck out to end the inning and the rally.
Messiah's lead lasted until the bottom of the fourth, when the Golden Wolves were able to tally three runs to take the lead. In the top of the fifth,
Trent Culver took Alvernia starter Thomas Malik deep on a 2-0 count to tie the game back up at three.
However, Alvernia was able to take back the lead with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning, and that would prove to be enough as the Falcons were unable to get a runner on base in the final two innings and the Golden Wolves won by a final score of 4-3.
Messiah's next scheduled contest is set for this coming Tuesday, Mar. 27, as the Falcons host York (Pa.) for a single game starting at 3:30 p.m.
