GETTYSBURG, Pa. - The Messiah baseball team held a 7-0 lead after two innings of play on the road against Gettysburg on Wednesday afternoon, but the Falcons were unable to lock down the victory. The Bullets scored 13 of the final 14 runs in the game to secure a 13-8, come-from-behind victory over Messiah.
 
Each of the first three batters in the Falcons' line-up collected two hits with Trent Culver, Jarod Bingaman, and Josh Hayner each finishing the day with multi-hit games.
 
On the mound, Messiah used six different pitches in the non-conference loss.
 
Messiah is next in action on Thursday when they host the Dickinson Red Devils at 4:00 p.m. at the Starry Athletic Complex.

Hot Start
Messiah got off to a scorching start with four runs in the first and three more in the second to take a 7-0 lead. Everything was clicking in the early innings with the offense getting timely hits and the starter Glenn Petraitis hanging a pair of zeros on the board.

The Falcons started Wednesday's game with four-straight hits and used three errors throughout the inning to take a 4-0 lead. The Falcons did their damage on a failed pick off attempt, an RBI single from Josh Hayner, an error by the third baseman and a double-play ball, but the four-straight hits by Trent Culver, Jarod Bingaman, Hayner, and Billy Davis set the table for the crooked number.

After a one-two-three inning in the bottom of the first by Petraitis, the Falcons went back to work with three more runs crossing the plate in the second. Run-scoring singles from Bingaman and Kasey Caras as well as a squeeze from Ben Wilson gave the Falcons a comfortable looking 7-0 lead heading into the third.

Bullets Fire Back
After collecting just a leadoff single in the top fo the second, the Bullets went to work on the lead in the third. Three-straight two-out doubles in the third put a pair of runs on the board and made it at 7-2 Messiah lead.

After the Falcons got a run back in the top of the fourth on a Davis groundout to second, the Bullets cut the lead to four with a pair of runs in the bottom fo the frame. Once again it was two-out knocks that brought home the runs for Gettysburg.

The Bullets completed the comeback and then some in the bottom of the sixth with eight runs on just three hits. Gettysburg did take advantage of four Messiah errors and three walks, but after the dust settled in the frame it was the Bullets on top 12-8.

Gettysburg would add an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh on a bases-loaded balk to get to the final score of 13-8.

Messiah mustered just two hits and one run in their final seven trips to the plate and dropped the game 13-8.

What's Up Next
The setback, drops the Falcons to 5-10 on the season and they will have another quick turnaround as they play their third game in as many days when they host the Dickinson Red Devils at 4:00 p.m. at the Starry Athletic Complex. Messiah will follow that non-conference game up with a crucial three-game series against the Lebanon Valley Dutchmen on Friday and Saturday. Game One of that series is scheduled for Friday afternoon in Annville at 3:30 p.m.