CHESTER, PA. – The Messiah baseball team swept the Widener Pride after winning both games in Saturdays doubleheader. The Falcons took game one 5-3 and game two 11-5. In game one the Falcons used good pitching, and consistent scoring to get past the pride in game one. Game two was a dominant showing as the Falcons cruised to an 11-5 win thanks to back-to-back five run innings.
 
The Falcons will host Juniata College Monday April 29th to close out the regular season. 
 
Game One: 5-3
The Falcons struck early with a Drew Hurst home run to right field to make it an 1-0 lead. Nathan Stein began his strong performance by striking out three of his first four batters in the first inning.
 
The Pride would tie things up in the bottom of the second after a quick 1-2-3 from the Falcons. Messiah would create damage in the top of the third but could not bring in any runners. Widener capitalized by bringing in one run to give them a 2-1 lead heading into the fourth. Over the next two innings the Falcons offense lost steam only reaching base off an error and a hit by pitch. In the bottom of the fifth, the Pride extended their lead to 3-1 after a bases loaded walk.
 
However, the top of the sixth saw the Falcons offense wake up. Hurst led off with a single, later advancing on an error. Josh Ammons and Evan Wagaman followed him up with back-to-back singles to cut the lead to 3-2. Dylan Beard layed down a SAC bunt to bring in another run tying the game up at 3-3. Despite Luke Ott, Dustin Isanogle, and David Martinez all reaching base the Pride would escape the jam still tied.
 
Stein ended his night in the sixth, bringing in Dan Dellinger who would get out the bottom half of the sixth unharmed. The Falcons had a chance to bring in the lead run in the top of the seventh with a runner on third, but the Prides pitching got them out the top half of the frame. Dellinger would retire the side in the bottom of the seventh, sending the game into eighth still tied.
 
Following a quiet eighth inning from both teams, the Falcons struck in the ninth with a Nick Moyer double leading to an Ammons single to bring the game to 4-3. Messiah was not done, Wagaman would double to center to score the final run of the game. Julian Butler secured the win, by holding the Pride scoreless in the bottom of the ninth giving the Falcons the 5-3 win.
 
Game Two: 11-5
The Falcons got on the board first to begin game two. Isaiah Paridos single led to him advancing all the way to third, setting up a Josh Ammons single to give Messiah a 1-0 lead. Following a quiet second inning from both squads, the Falcons would strike big in the top of the third.
 
Parido again reach base followed by a Drew Hurst single. Unforced errors led to both advancing. Ammons continued his strong performance from the plate with a single to score one. Another Pride error led to Hurst coming home to make it a 3-0 game. Dylan Beard and Luke Ott would both single to bring in another run, extending the Falcons lead to 4-0. Following a SAC fly and a single from Ryan Friend Messiah would end the inning up 6-0. The Pride however, responded with two runs of their own cutting the lead to 6-2.
 
Messiahs' offense proved to be too much when they blew the game wide open with a big five run fourth inning giving them an 11-2 lead. Hurst, Ammons, Wagaman, Ott, Friend, and Moyer would all reach base by hits in the inning. Widener managed to bring in two more runs, keeping the game interesting heading into the fifth down 11-4.
 
The Pride scored one more run in the bottom of the fifth, but that would be the final run of the game as both teams would go scoreless for the remainder of the game. Josh Nielson pitched a total of 4.0 innings before exiting with two strikeouts. Brody Martin would relieve him in the fifth and go 2.0 innings with two strikeouts, and Henry Zercher closed out the game in the seventh striking out one and forcing a double play to give the Falcons the 11-5 win.  
 
What's Up Next:
The Falcons now hold a 31-8 record, finishing with 19-2 in conference play, the most wins in program history. Messiah will host Juniata College Monday April 29th to close out the regular season. Messiah will also enter the MAC Commonwealth tournament as the No.1 seed and host York College in the semifinals Friday, May 3rd.