GRANTHAM, Pa. – Playing in their home opener, the Messiah baseball team earned a 9-6 victory over the visiting Franklin & Marshall Diplomats on Thursday afternoon. The Falcons scored six runs in the first two frames thanks to six walks and a trio of timely hits. After taking the lead the Falcons never looked back. While the Diplomats plated a handful of late runs it was not enough to complete the comeback.
Joshua Ammons continued his hot-hitting ways with a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning to add a little insurance for the Falcons.
Chris Beatty earned the win for Messiah on the mound, tossing five innings while allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits and two walks while striking out three.
With the victory, Messiah moves to 3-4-1 on the season and will be back in action on Saturday when they square off with No. 23 Randolph-Macon in a doubleheader beginning at 12:00 p.m. in Virginia.
How It Happened
The Falcons struck first in the bottom of the opening frame on an
Evan Wagaman triple to the right-field corner. After a pair of walks put runners on first and second, Wagaman stepped to the plate with two outs and drilled a two-run triple into the right-field corner. The knock gave Messiah a 2-0 lead.
After the Diplomats got one run back in the top of the second, Messiah responded with a four-run bottom of the second. The Falcons took advantage of four walks in the frame to set the table for an RBI single from
Dylan Beard and a two-run single from
Sam Zercher.
Joshua Ammons also drove home a run in the frame with a bases loaded walk. The result was a 6-1 Messiah lead after two frames.
Ammons drove home his second run of the game with a single to left center in the fourth when Messiah took a 7-1 lead.
In the fifth, the Diplomats began chipping away at the lead, scoring two runs on two hits and a Messiah error. The two-run frame pulled the Diplomats within four at 7-3.
In the bottom of the sixth,
Dustin Isanogle led off the frame with a walk and then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt.
Joshua Ammons followed with a towering home run to left field that was gone as soon as it hit the bat. It was Ammons' third homer in the last week after he hammered two last weekend in Tennessee.
The two-run homer were the final runs for the Falcons and put Messiah up 9-3. F&M threatened for a huge inning in the eighth. While Messiah limited the damage to just two runs, the Falcons had to wiggle out of a bases loaded jam to keep their lead at 9-5. Josh Neilsen was called on with the bases loaded and no outs. Neilsen allowed just one inherited runner to score on a fielder's choice as he worked out of the frame.
In the ninth, a Diplomat sacrifice fly made it a 9-6 game before a fly out to center and a groundout to third put the home opener in the win column for the Falcons.
There were several defensive gems for the Falcons in the contest. Highlighting the effort was a diving, over-the-shoulder catch from
Isaiah Parido in the warning track in left center field to end the fourth inning. Later in the game,
Jarrett Gordon turned a nifty, sliding double play to conclude the seventh inning, hitting second base with his hand on the way by.
On the mound,
Chris Beatty earned the win in his first career start, going five innings and allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits and two walks while striking out three.
Thomas Zeigler tossed a pair of scoreless innings for the Falcons in the sixth and seventh and Josh Neilsen earned a two-inning save after coming into that bases loaded jam in the eighth.
What's Up Next
The Falcons are heading to Virginia this weekend to take on Randolph-Macon in a doubleheader on Saturday at 12:00 p.m.
