GRANTHAM, Pa. – Playing in their final non-conference game of the season, the Messiah Falcons were unable to contain the bats of the Wilson Phoenix on Tuesday afternoon, falling by a 10-6 final. Wilson scored in six of their nine trips to the plate as they steadily built their lead. The Falcons used a solo home run in the second inning from
Sam Zercher to get on the board before plating five runs in the bottom of the sixth.
That five-run sixth inning for the Falcons cut the Wilson lead down to 7-6 at the time, but three late runs from the Phoenix got them to the final score of 10-6.
Messiah mustered just five hits in the contest while Wilson finished the afternoon with 17.
The Falcons will now turn their full attention to the Hood Blazers, who they will play in the final series of the season across the next two days. Messiah will head to Hood for a single game on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. before hosting the Blazers for a doubleheader on Thursday beginning at 1:00 p.m.
How It Happened
The Falcons fell into an early 2-0 hole after Wilson knocked three hits and scored a pair of runs in the top of the first. The Phoenix scored their runs on back-to-back RBI singles with two outs. Messiah got on the board in the bottom of the second inning when
Sam Zercher led off the frame with a towering solo home run over the scoreboard in right centerfield to cut the lead in half at 2-1. The home run was Zercher's ninth of the season and he is currently just one homer shy of the single season program record, most recently tied by
Kasey Caras in 2021.
With two outs in the top of the third, Wilson ripped a double to the right-field corner with a runner a first. The runner attempted to score, but the combination of Evan Wagamen,
David Martinez, and
Ryan Friend were able to cut down the runner at the plate and keep the Phoenix lead at 2-1.
Despite being held scoreless in the third, they tacked on the next five runs with two in the fourth, two in the fifth, and one in the top of the sixth to take a 7-1 lead.
Messiah rallied in the bottom of the sixth, scoring five runs to trim the lead down to just one at 7-6. After
Sam Zercher was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame,
Evan Wagaman lifted a two-run homer to left field on a 2-0 pitch to make it a 7-3 game. A hit-by-pitch, walk, and sacrifice bunt put two in scoring position with just one out.
David Martinez singled to the shortstop deep in the hole, bringing home another run. After a walk, Messiah loaded the bases for
Dustin Isanogle. A third hit-by-pitch in the inning forced in a run and made it a 7-5 game with Isanogle hearing the hard-fought RBI.
Joshua Ammons nearly left the yard to left-center, but a sacrifice fly pulled the Falcons within one at 7-6. A strikeout looking ended the inning, but the Falcons had made it a game with three frames remaining.
Wilson continued their scoring ways, putting two runs on the board in the top of the seventh and building their lead back to three at 9-6. Messiah went down in order in the bottom of the frame, but turned away the Phoenix in order in the seventh, keeping them scoreless in a frame for the first time since the third.
The Falcons were unable to get anything going in the eighth as Wilson added another run in the ninth to take a 10-6 lead. The Falcons were unable to do anything with a pair of two-out walks in the ninth and fell by the 10-6 final score.
What's Up Next
As mentioned, the Falcons will travel to Hood on Wednesday for a single game at 4:00 p.m. On Thursday the Falcons will host the Hood Blazers in a doubleheader that will begin at 1:00 p.m. This series has plenty of postseason implications with the Falcons firmly in the mix for a spot in the conference tournament.
