BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Messiah baseball team ended the 2019 season in heartbreaking fashion with Moravian claiming a 9-8 win on a two-out, walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth. Messiah held an 8-6 lead heading to the bottom of the ninth, but three walks and a hit-by-pitch set the stage for the walk-off single by the Greyhounds' Robert Roman.

Colt Price and Ryan Hentschel each collected two RBI to lead the offense in the game. On the mound, Messiah tossed eight different pitches with Zak Muffitt leading the way with 2.2 scoreless innings pitched in relief.

Messiah ends the 2019 season with an overall record of 17-23.

Greyhounds Lead Early
After Messiah was held scoreless in the top of the first, the Greyhounds got on the board with a run off a wild pitch. The Falcons wasted little time answering back with two runs in the second inning. Ryan Hentschel drew a leadoff walk and would later come around to score on a Colt Price sacrifice fly. Following a Mitchell Martin double to center, Mason Valentino reached on an error to bring Martin home and Messiah took a 2-1 lead.

Moravian scored four runs on four hits in the bottom of the second to take the lead back at 5-2, heading to the third.

Falcons Jump in Front
Scoreless frames in the third and fourth followed for both teams, but the Falcons hung a four-spot in the top of the fifth thanks to five hits. Messiah scored all four of their runs in the inning with two outs, including a two-run single by Hentschel to right center. A wild pitch later in the inning brought Hentschel home and Martin drove home the final run of the inning with a single.

The four-run fifth, gave Messiah the lead at 6-5, but a sac fly in the bottom of the inning tied the game at 6-6.

The Falcons scored a single run in both the sixth and seventh on an error and a Coly Price sac fly, respectively to take an 8-6 lead.

The Falcons were able to hold the lead, thanks to timely pitching. Messiah wiggled out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the bottom of the sixth with Zak Muffitt getting the final three outs of the inning on a pair of strikeouts and a groundout.

Walks Lead to Walk-Off
The Falcons continued to lead by two at 8-6, heading into the bottom of the ninth. Three-straight walks loaded the bases with no outs for the Greyhounds. A sacrifice fly to left brought the first run of the inning in before a hit by pitch loaded the bases once again. After Chase Peiffer got a strikeout looking, a single to left field by Robert Roman chased two runs home and gave Moravian the walk-off win by a 9-8 final score.

Johnny Wholestaff
On the mound, Messiah used eight different pitchers in the ballgame with Kenny Runkel (2.1 innings) and Zak Muffitt (2.2 innings) leading the way with multiple innings of scoreless ball. The Falcons' staff scattered nine hits in the game, but handed out 13 free passes with 10 walks and three hit by pitches.