GRANTHAM, PA. - The Messiah baseball team fell short to the York College Spartans this afternoon by a score of 4-2. Messiah took a 2-1 lead in the fifth with a Dustin Isanogle single but York answered with a home run from Capobianco in the top half of the sixth to even the score at 2-2. York would tack on two runs in the top of the ninth via walk to take a 4-2 lead and the victory.

The loss takes Messiah to 17-15 overall and 7-4 in the conference. They will travel to York College to play the Spartans again on April 22, at 3:30 PM.

Game Action
The first three innings saw no runs with each team threatening in the third inning. York had second and third while Messiah had first and second in their respective third innings, with each team coming up empty heading into the fourth inning. The Spartans would pick up the first run of the game in the fourth taking a 1-0 lead heading into the bottom half of the inning. It would stay that way after the Falcons went three up and three down in the bottom half of the fourth inning.

Messiah took the lead in the bottom half of the fifth inning with a 2 RBI single from Dustin Isanogle bringing in Wagner and Ammons to take a 2-1 lead heading into the sixth inning. Ammons who reached on a single and Wagner who reached via a hit by pitch, advanced to second and third on a wild pitch from Zach Reed to set up the RBI opportunity for Isanogle. 

Joe Capobianco evened up the score with a home run over the left field wall to make the game 2-2 in the top of the sixth. It would remain 2-2 going into the ninth inning. The Falcons had runners at the corners with one down in the bottom of the eighth, but a pop-out and a caught stealing at second ended the threat for Messiah. The game was 2-2 headed into the ninth.

York had first and second with one down in the top of the ninth when Messiah called Paul Hansel to the mound. After a groundout, the Spartans had second and third with two down. After a walk, York had the bases loaded with pinch hitter Emidio Bucci up to the plate. After getting ahead in the count 0-2, Hansel hit Bucci, walking in the go-ahead run. Four of the next five pitches would be balls as Hansel issued another walk to walk in a run making the game 4-2 in favor of York College. The Falcons would then turn to Thomas Ziegler to take the hill in relief and induced a ground ball to end the inning heading into the bottom half of the ninth with a two run deficit. 

The Falcons went in order, giving York the win 4-2 on the day. 

Next
The loss takes Messiah to 17-15 and 7-4 in the conference. The next game for the Falcons will be these same York College Spartans, traveling to York on April 22, for a game at 3:30 PM.