GRANTHAM, Pa. – Two ninth inning runs lifted the Messiah baseball team to a victory over the Stevenson Mustangs on Friday afternoon by a 6-5 final score. Messiah entered the bottom of the ninth, trailing 5-4, but a sacrifice fly from Joshua Ammons tied things up before Sam Zercher launched a walk-off double off the centerfield wall for the game winner.
 
 Earlier in the game, Messiah held a 4-0 lead, but Stevenson rallied back with four runs in a wild seventh inning before taking the lead in the eighth at 5-4. The Falcons threatened in the seventh and eighth, but were unable to find the big hit until the bottom of the ninth with Sam Zercher's heroics.
 
The victory moves Messiah to 3-1 in the MAC Commonwealth and they will look to continue their strong play tomorrow when they square off with Stevenson for a doubleheader beginning at 12:00 p.m. in Owings Mills, Md.
 
How It Happened
The Falcons were held hitless for the first 3.2 innings of Friday's contest, but Messiah was able to scratch out a run in the bottom of the second to take a 1-0 lead. With one out in the second, Evan Wagaman was hit by a pitch and after Isaiah Parido reached on an error while attempting to sacrifice Wagaman to second the Falcons had runners on second and third. A squeeze bunt by Thomas Zeigler was fielded by the pitcher and tossed to first for the second ont of the frame, but a run scored and Messiah took a 1-0 lead.
 
On the mound, JJ Zirkle was in control during the early innings for the Falcons. Zirkle allowed a leadoff single down the left-field line in the top of the first and later worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the second. He got a swinging strikeout in the second to end the frame and proceeded to hang six-straight zeros on the scoreboard.
 
While Zirkle was holding the Mustang bats at bay, Messiah finally broke through for three runs in the bottom of the fifth. A leadoff single from Thomas Zeigler to center got the inning started. A sacrifice bunt and a single from Jarrett Gordon but runners on the corners with one away. Dustin Isanogle proceeded to loop a bloop double into right field, scoring a run and placing two Falcons in scoring position. Dylan Beard hammered a ringing double to the warning track in left field, scoring two and giving Messiah a 4-0 lead.
 
That lead held until the top of the seventh when a wild frame saw the Mustangs tie the game at 4-4. Stevenson scored their four runs on just two hits, taking advantage of four walks and a hit by pitch. The frame also featured a balk, a caught stealing at home, and a pair of wild pitches.
 
Messiah threatened to take the lead back in the bottom of the stanza, but two runners were left in scoring position after a two-out strikeout.
 
In the eighth, The Falcons looked to have escaped a bit of a jam when Dustin Isanogle picked off a runner at second base with one away. However, with two outs and the bases empty, the Mustangs picked up a walk and a double down the left-field line to put two in scoring position. A single to right field scored a run, but a strong Evan Wagaman throw held the second runner at third. A ground out ended the threat, and the Mustangs took a 5-4 lead into the bottom of the eighth.
 
Once again, the Falcons put some traffic on the bases with a single and a walk in the bottom of the eighth. But a hard-hit groundball to third started an inning-ending double play, moving the game to the ninth.
 
After Noah Barrell tossed a clean ninth, the Falcons went to work in the final half inning. Needing one run to extend the game and two to win, the Falcons started the frame with a walk to Jarrett Gordon. An infield single by Dustin Isanogle followed and a four-pitch walk to Dylan Beard loaded the bases with no outs. Joshua Ammons then tied the game with a sacrifice fly to shallow center field, allowing Gordon to scamper home. After Gordon evaded the tag at the plate, Messiah had leveled the game at 5-5 with Sam Zercher coming to the dish with runners on second and third with one away.
 
Zercher delivered in a big way, launching a 1-1 pitch off the centerfield wall, bringing home Isanogle from third, and walking off the Mustangs for a 6-5 Messiah victory.
 
What's Up Next
The victory moves Messiah to 6-7-1 on the season and 3-1 in the MAC Commonwealth. The Falcons will look to win the series with the Mustangs tomorrow afternoon when they head to Maryland for a doubleheader against Stevenson beginning at 12:00 p.m.