GRANTHAM, Pa. - The bats came alive for Messiah baseball against Arcadia University on Thursday afternoon, but it would not be enough as the Falcons fell to the Knights 8-7.
It was the most runs that Messiah had scored in a contest since their last home game on Mar. 8 when they tallied nine in a win over Gettysburg eight games ago.
Messiah is now 4-9 on the year and 1-5 in the MAC Commonwealth, with all five losses each coming by a single run. Arcadia improves to 11-5 on the season and 4-1 in the conference.
Colin Fry enjoyed a great day at the plate for the Falcons, going 3-5 with a double and two runs scored.
Josh Hayner also had a multi-hit game, going 2-2 with three RBI on the afternoon. Messiah recorded 11 hits altogether, their second-highest hit total of the season trailing just the 17 base knocks against Mount Aloysius on Feb. 21.
Arcadia wasted no time in jumping into the scoring column, as Phil Pierfy launched a home run to deep center field in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead. Messiah was able to counter right away, as
Colin Fry scored on a
Josh Hayner sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the inning.
The Knights regained the lead in the top of the third with a big two RBI single, but the Falcons were able to plate four runs over the next two innings to take a 5-3 lead after four frames. In the bottom of the fourth, freshman catcher
Billy Davis came through with double into the gap in right-center for his first collegiate RBI to score
Kyle Schoen from second, and two consecutive lineouts to center field were able to each bring a runner home from third to give the Falcons the two-run advantage. Tempers would flare before the inning was over, but the sides were able to settle down and resume the game after a few tense moments.
Arcadia was able to tie the game back up at five in the top of the fifth on a wild pitch and an error. A
Josh Hayner double in the bottom of the inning scored Fry and put Messiah back up by one, but Phil Pierfy's second home run of the game was a big one in the top of the sixth, scoring two runs and tilting the lead back in favor of the Knights, 7-6.
The Arcadia lead was pushed to 8-6 in the top of the seventh, and Messiah countered in the bottom of the inning with a
Billy Davis RBI groundout to make it a one-run game once again. However, the Falcons would strand a runner in both the eighth and ninth innings, falling to Arcadia by an 8-7 score.
The Falcons will look to bounce back when the series with the Knights continues with a doubleheader on Monday. First pitch of game one is set for noon.
