FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Messiah baseball team opened the 2023 season on Saturday in Fayetteville, N.C. winning their first game of the season in dramatic fashion. Facing the Virginia Wesleyan Marlins, Thomas Zeigler hammered a go-ahead home run in the top of the ninth and Messiah escaped a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the frame to earn a 9-8 victory.
 
In the nightcap, the Falcons fell by a 12-2 final score against the Methodist Monarchs.
 
Messiah defeats Virginia Wesleyan – 9-8
The Messiah baseball team opened the 2023 season with an exciting 9-8 victory over the Virginia Wesleyan Marlins on Saturday morning. The Falcons jumped out to an early lead, but needed a Thomas Zeigler go-ahead, solo home run in the top of the ninth to break an 8-8 tie. Even after the Zeigler homer in the ninth, Messiah needed to escape a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the frame to claim the victory.
 
The Falcons started their season with three runs in the top of the first inning without the use of a hit. The Marlins committed three errors in the frame leading to three unearned Messiah runs.
 
In the bottom of the second, Virginia Wesleyan got on the board with an RBI double, but the Falcons responded with an RBI double by Evan Wagaman and a squeeze bunt by Dylan Beard to take a 5-1 lead. The Marlins closed the gap to just one run with a three-run frame in the bottom of the third.
 
Messiah padded their lead with an RBI triple from Joshua Ammons, driving home Dustin Isanogle, and a sacrifice fly from Sam Zercher in the fourth. That lead held until the sixth when a bases loaded walk to Dylan Beard gave the Falcons an 8-4 lead.
 
The Marlins scored three runs in the sixth and one more in the seventh to tie things up at 8-8, setting the stage for Zeigler's go-ahead homer in the ninth. With two away in the ninth, Zeigler hammered the first home run of his career, giving Messiah a 9-8 lead.
 
In the bottom of the frame, the Marlins threatened with a two-out rally. After a pair of ground outs, a single, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases. Noah Barrall struck out the final batter of the game to strand the tying run at the third and the winning run at second.
 
Barrall was the winning pitcher in the game after coming in for the final out of the eighth inning. Christian Woodie got the start for the Falcons going five frames and striking out six. JJ Zirkle tossed 2.2 innings in middle relief.

Methodist defeats Messiah - 12-2 (8 innings)
In Game Two of their split doubleheader the Falcons were defeated by the Methodist Monarchs by a 12-2 final score. Methodist scored four runs in the bottom of the third to take a 4-0 lead. Ryan Friend got the Falcons on the board in the top of the sixth with a sacrifice fly that scored Sam Zercher.

After the Methodist connected for two in the bottom of the sixth to take a 6-1 lead, Messiah scored their second run of the afternoon on a Sam Zercher single to left field. In the eighth, the Monarchs scored six runs to take a 12-2 lead when the game was called after eight innings of play.

What's Up Next
The Falcons will play one more game on their North Carolina trip, taking on the Virginia Wesleyan Marlins tomorrow morning at 11:00 a.m. before returning home.