GRANTHAM, Pa. - The Hood Blazers scored three first-inning runs en route to a 6-1 victory over the Messiah baseball team on Tuesday afternoon in the Falcons' home opener. Messiah trailed 6-0 after five innings of play, but scratched out a run in the seventh before falling 6-1 in the contest.
 
The loss drops the Falcons to 0-6 on the year in conference games and give Messiah an overall record of 5-9 on the season.
 
Messiah collected four hits on the day with Trent Culver, Josh Hayner, and Jarod Bingaman each collecting extra-base hits. Culver led off the first with a double while Hayner and Bingaman each collected triples in the second and seventh innings respectively.
 
Messiah will be back in action on Wednesday when they travel to Gettysburg to take on the Bullets at 3:30 p.m. in a non-conference game.
 
How It Happened
The Blazers took an early 3-0 lead thanks to three first-inning runs. After Nathan Kessler led off the game with a hit-by-pitch, Messiah starter Luke Luckenbaugh retired the next two batters with a foul out and a fly out. After Kessler stole second, he was brought home with a two-out single by Dan Shepherd to center field. After a Messiah error extended the inning, Ben Swayer delivered the big blow in the early innings with a two-run double down the left-field line that was just out of the reach of Clayton Roberts.
 
A ground out ended the inning, but the Blazers had already taken a 3-0 lead.
 
The Blazers added insurance runs in the second, fourth, and fifth to take a 6-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth inning. While the Blazers were building their lead, Messiah was threatening for runs in the first and second innings with runners in scoring position thanks to extra-base hits from Culver and Bingaman. Unfortunately for the Falcons, Messiah was unable to plate either runner and were held scoreless through the early going.
 
Hood starter, Jordan Patterson was excellent in his five innings. The senior allowed just three hits and walked none while tossing five shutout innings with seven strikeouts.
 
Messiah was unable to get on the board until Patterson was lifted from the game. After stranding Culver in scoring position in the sixth, Messiah was able to get on the board in the seventh thanks to a one-out triple from Josh Hayner and a run-scoring, pinch-hit ground out from Kasey Caras.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, Messiah put together their most dangerous looking rally, loading the bases with one away, but a strikeout and a fielder's choice ended the frame without a run and the Falcons continued to trail 6-1 heading to the ninth.
 
A scoreless ninth, gave the Blazers a 6-1 victory and the three-game series sweep over the Falcons.
 
On the Mound
Kenny Runkel and Ben Stewart turned in 4.2 scoreless innings of relief, without allowing one hit and two walks while striking out three. Luke Luckenbaugh was saddled with the loss after allowing five runs (four earned on six hits and two walks while striking out three.
 
What's Up Next
Messiah falls to 0-6 in the MAC Commonwealth on the young season and will next take the field tomorrow afternoon when they travel to Gettysburg to take on the Bullets at 3:30 p.m. The Falcons will be back at home on Thursday when they host the Dickinson Red Devils in a non-conference game at 3:30 p.m.