GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Messiah baseball team broke out the bats in a doubleheader with the Houghton Highlanders on Friday afternoon. The Falcons earned a 16-1 victory over the Highlanders in Game One before claiming a 11-1 win in the nightcap. Messiah scored 10 runs in the third inning of Game One while Nick Moyer hammered a pair of home runs in Game Two to help lift the Falcons to victory.
 
With the victories, Messiah improves to 8-3 on the season and will be back in action on Tuesday when they travel to Eastern Mennonite for a game with the Royals beginning at 3:00 p.m.
 
Game One – Messiah defeats Houghton – 15-1
Friday's first game started with a scoreless opening frame, but it did not stay scoreless long. The Falcons plated three runs in the bottom of the second on an RBI single from Nick Moyer and a two-run single by Isaiah Parido. That was just the start, as Messiah exploded for 10 runs in the bottom of the third.
 
During the double-digit frame, the Falcons were led by three RBI from Drew Hurst. Early in the frame, Hurst knocked a two-run single before driving home a run on a groundout later in the frame. Nick Moyer ripped a two-run triple to centerfield and RBI knocks came from Joshua Ammons (double), and Evan Wagaman (single). Messiah took advantage of a pair of errors, two walks, and a hit by pitch while knocking five hits to build the 13-1 lead.
 
Messiah added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth with a wild pitch and a groundout to second base by Kyler Parks.
 
Tucker Williams ripped a solo homerun to lead off the bottom half of the sixth inning. It was Williams' first career home run, driving it over the right-field fence to push Messiah's lead to 16-1.
 
One the hill, Nathan Stein was fantastic, tossing five frames of one-run baseball. Stein struck out eight batters across his five frames, walking three and allowing just one hit. The Highlanders did score one run in the top of the third, executing a first-and-third double steal.
 
Game Two – Messiah defeats Houghton – 11-1
The Falcons put crooked numbers on the board in each of the first three frames to build a 10-0 lead after three innings. In the fifth, both teams scored once to get to the eventual final score of 11-1.
 
Nick Moyer highlighted the Game Two offensive effort with a pair of home runs, launching a no-doubter in the bottom of the third for a three-run shot and adding a solo home run in the fifth. The homers were the first two home runs of the career for Moyer.
 
Messiah started early with Joshua Ammons knocking a two-run double down the left-field line before scoring on a throwing error later in the inning. In the second, Isaiah Parido continued his hot stretch, by lashing a two-run home run over the scoreboard in right-center field.
 
Ryan Friend knocked a two-run single up the middle in the third inning before Moyer cleared the bases with his first career home run to left field.
 
In the fifth, Houghton got on the board thanks to a fielding error, but Moyer got the run right back with his second home run of the day, lifting it to left.
 
On the hill, Josh Nielsen tossed four shutout innings, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out five to earn the victory. Julian Butler, Collin Schrim, and Jake Betz each pitched one inning in the victory with just one unearned run crossing the plate.
 
What's Up Next
The Falcons will be back in action on Tuesday when they travel to Virginia to take on the Eastern Mennonite Royals for a single game beginning at 3:00 p.m.