GRANTHAM, Pa. - On Friday afternoon, the Messiah baseball team split a doubleheader with the Eastern Eagles in a pair of low-scoring games. The Falcons took Game One by a 5-1 final, thanks to a key, two-out, bases-loaded double by
Billy Davis. The Falcons were unable to find the clutch hit in Game Two, falling by a 2-1 final to the Eagles.
Messiah moves to 8-12-1 overall and 6-11-1 in the MAC Commonwealth and will be back in action tomorrow afternoon when they travel to St. Davids, Pa. to take on the Eastern Eagles in its second-straight doubleheader.
Game One - Messiah defeats Eastern - 5-1
The Messiah baseball team earned a 5-1 victory in the first game of a doubleheader against the Eastern Eagles on Friday afternoon. Messiah built an early lead after a
Clayton Roberts single in the bottom of the first inning. Roberts then scored in the third to double the lead and make it 2-0.
Eastern cut the gap to 2-1 in the fifth, but
Billy Davis delivered the big hit of the afternoon with a bases-clearing double to drive home three runs.
Luke Luckenbaugh earned his second victory of the season with six strong innings on the hill. Luckenbaugh scattered five hits while allowing one run and striking out seven.
Trent Culver came in from centerfield to close the game out, striking out two in his inning of work to give Messiah the 5-1 victory.
As mentioned, Messiah struck first, scoring in the bottom of the opening frame.
Jarod Bingaman set the table with a leadoff triple to left centerfield. Just one batter later,
Clayton Roberts singled through the right side to chase Bingaman home and give Messiah a 1-0 lead.
The Falcons later doubled that lead in the bottom of the third. With Roberts the runner at third with two away,
Trent Culver hit a ball up the middle. While the shortstop fielded the grounder cleanly, his throw was off the mark, allowing Culver to reach and Roberts to score the second run of the afternoon.
The Eagles cut that lead in half in the top of the fifth when the Falcons traded an out for a run on a ground ball to shortstop. Messiah got that run, and then some, back in the bottom of the fifth when
Billy Davis lined a double to left centerfield. The two-out double came on a full count with the bases loaded after a single and a pair of walks loaded the bags up. Davis' double drove home three and gave Messiah a 5-1 lead.
The Falcons retired the Eagles three-up, three-down in back-to-back innings, allowing Messiah to earn the 5-1 victory.
Game Two - Eastern defeats Messiah - 2-1
The second game of the doubleheader was a pitcher's duel for the first six innings. Messiah jumped out to an early lead, scoring on a
Reed Wagner double down the left field line to take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second.
The Falcons' one-run lead remained until the top of the seventh when the Eagles struck for a pair of runs to take a 2-1 advantage. Messiah issued back-to-back walks to lead off the inning. Both free passes came around to score on an RBI single and a fielder's choice.
Messiah put a together a rally in the bottom of the ninth.
Trent Culver ripped a leadoff single and later in the frame,
Reed Wagner worked a walk. Both Culver and Wagner moved into scoring position on a passed ball. Down to their final out, Davis ripped a line drive that was caught by the second baseman to end the game, giving the Eagles a 2-1 victory and a split of the doubleheader.
Messiah starter,
Josh Monturo, worked a quality five innings, allowing no runs on six hits while striking out four.
Zak Muffitt and
Ben Stewart combined for a stellar inning of relief, getting the Falcons out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the sixth. Muffitt threw just three pitches to record the first out of the inning on a strike out and Stewart induced an inning-ending double play to help Messiah escape the jam.
What's Up Next
With the doubleheader split, Messiah moves to 8-12-1 overall and 6-11-1 in the MAC Commonwealth. The Falcons and Eagles will play against tomorrow in another doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. in St. Davids, Pa.
