GRANTHAM, Pa. - A six-run Messiah rally in the eighth and ninth innings forced extra-innings, but the Widener Pride scored four runs in the top of the 10th to claim an 11-7 victory in the first game of a three-game conference series against the Falcons. Kyle Wickenheiser delivered the big blow in the Messiah rally with a three-run pinch hit home run to center field on the first pitch he saw in the eighth.
 
Messiah scored two unearned runs in the ninth thanks to a throwing error on the second batter of the inning. Those two runs would tie the game and force extra innings, the Pride would score four runs on three hits to take a commanding 11-7 lead into the bottom of the 10th. Messiah put one runner on in the bottom half of the frame, but was unable to push across a run and fell by the 11-7 final.
 
Messiah and Widener will complete their three-game series on Saturday when the Falcons travel to Chester for a doubleheader beginning at 12:00 p.m.
 
Two-Out Runs for the Pride
The Pride rallied with two outs in the top of the first to plate a pair of runs on a Daren Wood double to left field. The two-out knock was a sign of things to come for the Pride and gave Widener a 2-0 lead. Widener would add a two-out run in the third on an error and plate two more in the fourth with two away on a Nick D'Alessan single up the middle.
 
After the single up the middle in the fourth, the Pride held a 5-0 lead. While Widener was building their lead, the Falcons put runners on base in the first, second, and fourth, but were unable to come up with the big hit. Messiah eventually got on the board in the sixth, when Jarod Bingaman ripped a leadoff triple to centerfield. Four batters later, Chris LaRose brought him home with a single down the left field line. Bingaman's run made it a 5-1 game.
 
Widener responded to Messiah's first run with a pair of their own, both scoring with two away, to take a 7-1 lead.
 
Messiah's Rally
The deficit remained six for the Falcons as they came to bat in the bottom of the eighth. With one away, Ryan Hentschel started the rally with one away with a double to left field. After a strikeout, LaRose singled through the right side to score Hentschel. Billy Davis then walked and Kyle Wickenheiser stepped to the play with two on and two out for a pinch hit at bat. Wickenheiser sent the first pitch he saw over the centerfield wall to pull Messiah within two at 7-5, heading to the ninth.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, Messiah used a timely error to score a pair of runs to tie the game. After Trent Culver beat out an infield single, Bingaman tapped a ball back to the mound that was thrown away by the Widener pitcher. The throwing error allowed Culver to score from first and sent Bingaman to third with no outs. During the next at bat, Bingaman scampered home with the tying run after a wild pitch went to the backstop.
 
The unearned runs tied the game at 7-7 and forced extra innings.
 
Pride Wins in Extras
A strikeout started the top of the 10th, but back-to-back walks put two runners on for the Pride. A failed pickoff attempt then went into centerfield, allowing both Widener runners to move into scoring position. A single up the middle by Tommy McParland scored the pair and gave the Pride a 9-7 lead. A wild pitch and a single later in the inning put the Pride up 11-7 after the top of the frame.
 
In the bottom of the inning, Billy Davis singled for the Falcons with one out, but he was left stranded as a groundout to first ended the game. After falling 11-7, Messiah drops to 4-12 in the MAC Commonwealth while Widener moves to 7-9 in the conference.
 
What's Up Next
The Falcons and Pride will complete the three-game series with a doubleheader in Chester on Saturday. First pitch of Game One is slated for 12:00 p.m.