GRANTHAM, Pa. – In a wild turn of events, the Messiah baseball team walked off the Alvernia Golden Wolves in the bottom of the 10th inning on a throwing error by the pitch on a first-and-third play with two outs. The Falcons scored three runs in the bottom of the 10th after the Golden Wolves scored twice in the top of the 10th inning.
 
Earlier in the game, it was a pitcher's duel with home runs from Sam Zercher and Alvernia's Zach Rogacki hammering home runs to account for three of the four runs during the first nine frames. The Falcons had chances throughout the game, particularly in the eighth and ninth, but were unable to break through to take a late lead.
 
Once in extra innings, Alvernia put two on the board with a two-run triple by Jason Kelly, but Noah Barrall limited the damage to and the Falcons came to the plate, trailing 4-2 in the 10th. A leadoff single by Dustin Isanogle and a pair of walks loaded the bases with one out. Ryan Friend then walked to force home a run and pinch hitter Thomas Zeigler knocked a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 4-4. With runners on first and third, Messiah sent the runner from first. Alvernia's Anthony Mortimer stepped off the rubber and threw the ball away into centerfield allowing Evan Wagaman to trot home from third as the winning run.
 
Not to be forgotten in the wild ending was a stellar start for Nathan Stein, who went six strong innings, allowing just one run on five hits and one walk while striking out four. Noah Barrall earned the victory after tossing the final four frames while allowing just two hits and two runs while striking out five. Barrall had allowed just one walk in the ninth inning in his first three frames before Alvernia put some traffic on the bases in the 10th. Barrall was able to limit the damage with a pair of fly outs to right with runners on the corners.
 
The Golden Wolves were on the board first with a solo home run by Zach Rogacki to to right field to lead off the sixth inning. Messiah swiftly responded in the bottom of the frame. Joshua Ammons led off the frame with a walk and Sam Zercher smoked a two-run home run to centerfield to give Messiah a 2-1 lead.
 
In the top of the seventh, Alvernia scored a second run, tying the game at 2-2 with an unearned run crossing the plate on a sacrifice bunt throwing error. Noah Barrall came in with no outs and runners on first and second. He escaped the jam with a fielder's choice, a strikeout, and a fly out to left to keep the game tied.
 
Messiah had chances in the final frames to put the go ahead run on the board, but stranded a runner in scoring position in both the eighth and ninth.
 
In the 10th, Alvernia got a one-out rally started with a bunt single. The Golden Wolves attempted a moved the runner to second with a sacrifice bunt, but the Falcons threw the throw to second away, putting runners on the corners. A line drive snuck inside the bag at first and went into the corner for a two-run triple. Back-to-back fly outs to right field ended the inning and set up for a three-run bottom of the 10th to win it for Messiah.
 
After the unlikely ending, Messiah improves to 11-8 in the conference and back to .500 on the season at 15-15-1. The Falcons and Golden Wolves will wrap up their three-game series on Sunday with a doubleheader in Reading, Pa. beginning at 12:00 p.m.