GRANTHAM, Pa. - A pair of closely contested doubleheader games were split on Friday afternoon with the Blazers taking Game One 5-3 behind a strong pitching performance. Messiah earned a split of the twin-bill with a 4-3 victory in the nightcap to move to 4-9-1 overall and 2-9-1 in the MAC Commonwealth.

Messiah and Hood will square off once against tomorrow afternoon when the Falcons travel to Frederick for a double-dip beginning at noon.

Game One - Hood defeats Messiah 5-3
The Messiah baseball team dropped the front-half of their doubleheader with Hood on Friday afternoon by a 5-3 final score. After the Blazers scored four in the early innings, the Falcons' offense struggled to get going. Messiah collected just one hit and a total of two base runners through the first five frames, but got things going in the bottom of the sixth with back-to-back singles to lead off the frame. Jarod Bingaman delivered the big hit with a two-run double and Kasey Caras followed with a deep sacrifice fly to pull within one at 4-3.
 
As mentioned, the Blazers plated four runs in the early going, scoring a pair of runs in both the first and third innings. In the first, a double to left center by Stephen Sommer scored the first run of the afternoon and a single by Andrew Wenner followed later in the frame to make it a 2-0 game in favor of the Blazers.
 
Hood doubled their lead in the third with a two-out single by Alex Jenkins, pushing it to a 4-0 Blazers' advantage.
 
Messiah got the bats going in the bottom of the sixth, scoring their first runs of the day on a Jarod Bingaman double to right-center field. Dylan Symonds and Jorge Zambrano III led off the frame with back-to-back singles before a fielder's choice put runners on the corners with one out for Messiah. Bingaman roped his second hit of the day toward the scoreboard in right center for a double and then hustled into third with the throw going to the plate. Moments later, Kasey Caras lofted a high fly ball down the right-field line, but a diving catch took extra bases away from Caras. The play brought Bingaman home on the sacrifice fly and Messiah pulled within one at 4-3.
 
The Blazers plated an insurance run in the top of the seventh while the Falcons were unable to take advantage of a leadoff double in the bottom half of the inning. Messiah was held scoreless in the bottom of the seventh and dropped Game One by a 5-3 final.

Game Two – Messiah defeats Hood 4-3
The second game of the doubleheader was quiet for the first three innings until the Falcons struck for a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 2-0 lead. The Blazers and Falcons then traded runs in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively, before Hood tied the game at 3-3 with two runs in the top of the seventh. Messiah took the lead back in the bottom of the eighth on a fielder's choice off the bat of Billy Davis.
 
Hood looked to tie the game in the top of the ninth with a two-out single to center. Messiah cut down the would-be tying run at the plate to give the Falcons at 4-3 victory and a split of Friday's doubleheader.
 
As mentioned, the start of Game Two was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth, when the Falcons broke through for a pair of runs. Messiah was able to keep it a scoreless game thanks to Christian Woodie wiggling out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the third with a strike out.
 
In the fourth, Jarod Bingaman led off the frame by reaching on an error. After swiping second and moving to third on a passed ball, Bingaman scored on a Kasey Caras single through the right side for the first run of the contest. Caras would later come around to score off a first and third play that had a runner picked off of first. With two runs in the inning, Messiah took a 2-0 lead into the fifth.
 
The Blazers answered with a run-scoring single to center in the top of the fifth, but reliever Zak Muffitt induced a flyout to center to end the inning and limit the damage.
 
An inning later, Bingaman was again a catalyst to a rally for Messiah, leading off the sixth with a triple. Once again, he came around to score on a Kasey Caras single to right field, bumping the Falcons lead to 3-1.
 
Two runs from the Blazers in the seventh tied the game at 3-3, but Messiah took the lead back in the bottom of the eighth. Bingaman was hit by a pitch with one out and after a walk the Falcons put runners on first and second. A ground ball from Billy Davis ended up driving home Bingaman when the Blazers were unable to turn a double play. The run was Bingaman's third of the game and gave Messiah a 4-3 lead.
 
Things got wild in the top of the ninth. The Blazers picked up a one-out single and later had a runner at first with two away. A single to center allowed the runner from first to break for third. The throw from center was off the mark at the bag, and the runner broke for home. Bingaman, who was now pitching, was backing up on the play and cut down the runner at home for the final out of the game.
 
Messiah earned the 4-3 victory with Kasey Caras and Jarod Bingaman leading the offensive effort. Caras went 3-3 with two runs driven home and a run scored, while Bingaman set the table with three runs scored with a 1-3 effort.
 
What's Up Next
The Falcons and Blazers will play another doubleheader tomorrow afternoon in Frederick, Md. beginning at noon.