GRANTHAM, Pa. - Quinton Kuntz hurled a complete-game, five-hit shutout from the mound to lead Messiah baseball to a 5-0 win over Lebanon Valley College on Friday afternoon. The Falcons had a big second inning, pushing across four runs, and that would be more than enough run support for Messiah's senior pitcher.

With the win, Messiah improves ot 5-9 in the MAC Commonwealth and 9-16 overall, while LVC falls to 5-11 in the conference and 9-18 on the year.

To go with his complete game, Kuntz (3-4) also struck out five batters and walked two. LVC's Brendan Ward (1-3) also went the distance, but surrendered the five runs (all earned) on 11 Falcons hits while striking out four. Messiah had three batters record multiple hits, including Dan Wiederrecht (3-4, two runs scored) and Austin Mellinger (2-3, two RBI). Ryan Hentschel also added a pair of RBI in the win. Local Mechanicsburg H.S. product Josh Herring had the best day at the plate for the Dutchmen, reaching safely in three of his four at-bats with two singles and a walk.

In the top of the first, LVC was able to get two runners on without a hit as Trevor Bertsch reached on an error and Herring walked, but both runners would be picked off before the inning was over. Kuntz did not allow a hit until a leadoff single by Herring in the top of the fourth, which was quickly erased on a 4-6-3 double play. LVC would manage to put a couple runners on base through the rest of the game, but Kuntz did not allow a single runner past second base.

As mentioned, the Falcons opened up the scoring in a big way in the bottom of the second inning. Josh Hayner led off with an infield single, and after a Kyle Schoen flyout, Dan Wiederrecht belted an RBI double to the wall in left to put runners on second and third with one out. Austin Mellinger came through with a two-RBI single through the left side to put Messiah up 2-0, and Ryan Hentschel followed with a double to the fence in right to score Mellinger and give the Falcons a three-run lead. Before the inning was over, Hentschel scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Adam Janney and Messiah took a 4-0 lead into the third.

Messiah was able to add one more run in the top of the fourth, as Wiederrecht led the inning off with another double and eventually scored on a sacrifice bunt from Hentschel to make it 5-0 in favor of the home team. That score would hold for the rest of the game, as Messiah was able to take game one of a critical conference series, as the Falcons need to win as many of their remaining games in the MAC Commonwealth as they can in order to have a shot at the postseason.

The Falcons and Dutchmen will square off twice tomorrow in Annville to finish the series, with first pitch of game one of the doubleheader scheduled for noon.