READING, Pa. – The Messiah baseball team dropped the opening contest of a road doubleheader at Alvernia University, 6-4, as the second game was suspended in the top of the tenth inning with the two sides knotted up, 10-10. The official result of the second contest is an official tie. Three Falcons contributed run-scoring knocks in the doubleheader-opener, including a two-run double from
Billy Davis in the top of the fifth inning. Davis turned in a solid offensive performance in game two, contributing two more RBIs, as the Falcons had six different batters record run-scoring hits.
Game One
The Falcons got things going early, taking a prompt 1-0 edge in the top of the first inning.
Trent Culver led off for the Falcons, lacing a double to left field, his first double of the season. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Culver was driven home by a sacrifice fly to center field from
Kasey Caras, increasing his team-leading RBI count to nine.
Alvernia answered in the bottom half of the opening frame, tacking on five runs, highlighted by a one-out grand slam to left field from Jason Kelly. The momentous swat was Kelly's first career homerun, giving Alvernia a commanding 5-1 lead.
Messiah threatened in the top of the third inning, putting runners on first and second behind a two-out single from Culver and a walk from
Jarod Bingaman, but the Falcons were unable to cash in as Alvernia pitcher Jake Reese got Caras to go down swinging.
A three-run top of the fifth inning got the Falcons right back in the game. Bingaman plated
Clayton Roberts on a one-out double down the left line, trimming the deficit, 5-2. Messiah put runners on second and third with two outs, prompting a pitching change from the Golden Wolves. In stepped
Billy Davis, who cranked his second hit of the day, a clutch two-run double to deep left field. The two-out double brought Messiah back within a run of Alvernia, 5-4, and nearly cleared the fence, landing on the warning track.
The Golden Wolves retaliated in their offensive half of the inning, having their first two batters hit safely to extend a 6-4 lead. The Falcons had just one base runner during the sixth and seventh innings, falling short in Game One, 6-4.
Josh Monturo made the start for the Falcons, going 4.2 innings, giving up six runs on eight hits. The junior pitcher struck out two batters, upping his season total to nine.
Ben Stewart retired one batter to end the fifth inning, while
Josh Nielsen threw his second scoreless inning in as many days, fanning two Golden Wolves.
The setback drops the Falcons to a 2-5 (1-5 MAC Commonwealth) overall record as they looked to bounce back in the second contest of the twin bill.
Game Two
The Falcons, in similar fashion to the doubleheader opener, got their offense going in the top of the first. Culver ripped his second double of the day to lead off the game and would come around to score after being advanced to third on a groundout from Bingaman and a stolen base from
Kasey Caras. Caras swiped his second bag of the season, plating Messiah's second run of the opening frame when
Colt Price singled to right center field. On three hits, the Falcons held onto a 2-0 advantage.
Sophomore pitcher
Christian Woodie made the Game Two start for the Falcons. The Golden Wolves matched Messiah's offensive efforts, plating two runs in their opening offensive frame of the game. The big blow of the inning was a two-run double to left field, equalizing the game, 2-2.
Messiah had two more baserunners cross the plate in the second inning, restoring its two-run lead (4-2). The Falcons took advantage of a pair of Alvernia throwing errors to score Bingaman and Roberts. Messiah's lead increased to 6-2 in after plating runs in the third and fifth innings. Roberts grounded out to the shortstop to score
Reed Wagner in the top of the third inning, while a
Mason Valentino RBI-single up the middle to score
Jorge Zambrano III to give the Falcons a four-run edge.
The Golden Wolves came fighting back in the bottom of the fifth inning, tying the contest, 6-6, behind three hits. Alvernia took advantage of a Messiah error during the inning, as two of the Golden Wolves' runs were unearned.
After surrendering their four-run lead, the Falcons responded promptly in the top of the sixth inning. The top of the lineup (Culver, Bingaman, Caras, Davis, Price) recorded six-consecutive hits as Messiah claimed a 10-6 lead. Run-scoring hits came from Caras, Davis, Price, and Zambrano. Davis, with his RBI-single through the right side, registered his third RBI of the doubleheader.
Alvernia did not show any quit, answering with three runs in the bottom of the sixth, cutting the deficit to 10-9. The Golden Wolves tied the game in the bottom of the eighth, 10-10, forcing a bases-loaded walk to plate the game-tying run.
Both sides threatened in the ninth inning, with Messiah placing a runner on third with just one out. The Falcons were unable to score the decisive run, as the Golden Wolves put runners on first and second. Messiah worked out of the jam, and the game proceeded to be suspended due to darkness.
The result of the game is an official tie, leaving Messiah with a 2-5-1 (1-5-1 MAC Commonwealth) overall record.
What's Up Next
The Falcons will return to the diamond on Wednesday, Mar. 24, when they travel to Albright College to take on the Lions at 3:00 p.m. Messiah defeated Albright, 10-1, in its season opener on Mar. 9.
