WINCHESTER, Va. - With two runs in the top of the fifth, the Messiah baseball team took a 2-1 lead over Shenandoah University on the Hornets' home turf. The Hornets were held scoreless in the bottom of the fifth before taking the lead back in the sixth with four runs. After two more runs in the eighth, Shenandoah earned the 7-2 victory over the Falcons.
Seven different Falcons collected base hits in the contest, with
Jarod Bingaman driving home the tying run in the fifth with an infield single.
The Falcons move to 4-2 on the season and will next be in action when they are scheduled to play their first home game of the season against York (Pa.) at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Falcons Threaten, But Hornets Strike First
Trent Culver ripped a leadoff double to right field to begin the game and
Ben Wilson followed with a walk to put the first two runners of the contest on base. After a foul out a double-play ball ended the inning
In the bottom of the frame, three-straight walks loaded the bases with one away and after an infield fly to short, the Hornets scored on the fourth walk of the inning. Despite issuing four walks to the first six batters, Messiah starter
Luke Luckenbaugh got out of the inning with a strikeout looking.
Messiah Takes the Lead
After both the Falcons and Hornets put zeros on the board in the second, third, and fourth innings, Messiah scored their first runs of the evening in the top of the fifth. With one down in the fifth,
Dan Wiederrecht singled to center field and
Kasey Caras reached on a throwing error to put two runners in scoring position.
A strikeout followed, but a clutch two-out, infield single by freshman
Jarod Bingaman to short stop allowed Wiederrecht to scamper home from third to tie the game at 1-1. Moments later, the Falcons executed a first and third play to score Karas from third and move Bingaman up to second on stolen bases. The run
The inning extended with a walk to Culver, but a back pick from the Hornets' catcher ended the frame. and Messiah held a 2-1 lead heading to the bottom of the fifth.
Shenandoah Closes Out the Victory
Messiah held the 2-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth where the Hornets put a crooked number of the board to take the lead back. In the frame, Shenandoah scored four runs on three hits and a pair of errors. The big blow in the inning came on a two-run double by Keegan Woolford to right field and at the end of the frame, held a 5-2 lead.
Messiah once again threatened with two runners in the top-half of the eighth, but both were left stranded and the Hornets quickly added insurance runs with two more scores in the bottom of the frame.
The Falcons went down in order in the top of the ninth and Shenandoah claimed the 7-2 lead.
What's Up Next
The Falcons are slated for take for field on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. in their home opener against the York (Pa.) College Spartans.
