GRANTHAM, PA. – The Messiah baseball team defeated Penn St Altoona (9-3) Monday evening. The Falcons were led by Isaiah Parido, Joshua Ammons, Luke Ott, and Nick Moyer all with two hits accounting for seven runs. The Falcons did most of their damage in the third and fourth innings scoring three runs in each. Chris Beatty picked up the win on the mounds pitching five innings allowing one run, eight hits, striking out four.
 
The Falcons will be at Eastern University Thursday, Mar 28^th at 3:30p.m.
 
How It Happened:
 
The Lions got to Falcon's pitcher Chris Beatty in the top of the frame. Altoona's two through four batters notched three straight singles bringing one home to take an early 1-0 lead. The Falcons responded strong in the bottom of the frame. Isaiah Parido led things off getting hit by a pitch, following a strikeout Joshua Ammons lined a double down the left field line moving Parido to third with one out. Dylan Beard would hit a pop up to second but the aggressiveness from Parido brought him home to score a run tying up this game at 1-1.
 
Following a quick second inning from both teams, the Lions two, three, four batters again got to Beatty putting runners on first and second in the top of the third. However, Beatty was able to escape the inning forcing a fly out from Chamberlin to escape the top of the frame scoreless. Nick Moyer got things started for the Falcons with a standing double down the left field line. Following a ground out and a walk, with runners on third and first Ammons would drive in one run with a ground out to short advancing Hurst to second. The Falcons continued to extend the inning drawing walks to load the basis picking up another run after a Dustin Isanogle walk extending the lead to 3-1. Luke Ott followed that up with a single too short to bring the score to 4-1 through three innings.
 
Beatty got through the top of the fourth allowing only one hit. Messiah again would put the bat to the ball in the bottom of the fourth with a Parido single to get things going. Parido would later advance on a wild patch. After a Hurst walk, Ammons singled three pitches later to score another for the Falcons. Smart base running and an wild pitch led to another run being brought in to extend the lead to 6-1. Another error brought home Ammons furthering the damage in the bottom of the fourth to 7-1.
 
Despite both teams putting runners in scoring position, neither the lions nor the Falcons were able to drive runs in through the seventh inning. The Lions would change pitches three times, while Beatty for the Falcons was relieved of his duties in the fifth bringing in Christian Foltz. Foltz would pitch strong striking out three though three innings.
 
Messiah managed to score one more run off the bat of Parido in the bottom of the seventh to extend the lead to 7-1. Jadyn Martin entered the game for the Falcons in the eighth and quickly found himself in a jam, loading the basis up with two outs and allowing two runs after an infield single as the Lions cut deficit to 8-3. However, Brodie Martin would put an end to the inning despite loading the basis again escaping the jam to send the game into the ninth up 8-3.
 
 The Falcons responded in the bottom of the frame, after a Carter Reid walk and advancing all the way to third on a wild pitch and a balk. That would set up Ott to single up the middle to drive in an insurance run extending their lead to 9-3 heading into the ninth.
 
Henry Zercher entered the game to close things out in the ninth. Zercher quickly forced a ground out in the first at bat. After striking out the next batter, Zercher would give up a hit but that would be all for the Lions, as the next batter struck out giving the Falcons the 9-3 win.
 
What's Up Next:
Messiah will be back in action Thursday, March. 28^th when they head to Eastern to begin the three game series against the Eagles.