GRANTHAM, Pa. -
Jason Long tossed seven innings of one-run ball, but Alvernia scored three runs in the final two innings to tie the game at four. The Falcons and Golden Wolves headed to extra innings and in the top of the 11th, the Golden Wolves scored four runs to take a 8-4 lead. The Falcons scored a run in the bottom half, bringing the tying run to the plate, but Alvernia got out of the jam and took Game One of the MAC Commonwealth Championship Series by an 8-5 final score.
Jason Long pitched seven innings, allowing one earned run on three hits, one walk, while striking out one Alvernia batter.
Drew Hurst and
Joshua Ammons each hit a two-run home run for the Falcons.
Jarrett Gordon went 2-4 at the plate with a double and an RBI.
Play will be picked up tomorrow afternoon with Game Two of the MAC Commonwealth Championship Series beginning at 12:00 p.m. If a Game Three is necessary, it will immediately follow.
How It Happened
Isaiah Parido led off the bottom of the first with a leadoff walk and
Drew Hurst launched a two-run home run to right-centerfield to jumpstart an explosive opening frame for the Falcons. The two-run first came after
Jason Long retired the first three Alvernia batters in order. Hurst's homer was his fifth of the season and gave the Falcons an early 2-0 lead.
Long turned away the first seven batters he faced, but a one-out double in the third put a runner in scoring position for Alvernia. A wild pitch moved the runner to third and a groundout put a run on the board and cut the lead in half at 2-1.
The Falcons had something going in the bottom of the inning with a leadoff double from Parido, but he was cut down on a fielder's choice and the next two batters were retired to end the threat. Two innings later,
Drew Hurst walked with two outs and
Joshua Ammons crushed a line-drive home run over the leftfield wall for the Falcons' second two-run homer of the day. Ammons' fifth home run of the year pushed Messiah's lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the fifth.
That's where things stood when
Jason Long exited the game after seven strong innings. In the eighth,
Christian Foltz got two quick outs, but a two-out rally by the Golden Wolves scored a run on an error and Alvernia cut the lead to two at 4-2.
Messiah was unable to score in the bottom of the frame with a line-drive double play ending the frame with a runner on second base with one out.
In the ninth, the Falcons got the first out of the inning, but an error put a runner on with one away. Alvernia's Ben Houghton stepped to the play and lifted a two-run homer to right-centerfield, tying the game at 4-4 in the top of the ninth. Messiah went down in order in the bottom of the ninth and the game turned to extra innings.
Noah Barrall shutdown the Golden Wolves with three-straight strikeouts in the tenth and in the bottom of the stanza,
Joshua Ammons gave a ball a ride to deep left-centerfield. With two outs, Ammons' fly ball was tracked down on the warning track to end the frame and move the game to the 11th.
Alvernia proceeded to plate four runs in the top of the 11th inning with Luke Nelson delivering the big hit with a bases-clearing, three-run double to the gap in right center. Messiah hit three batters in the inning and Alvernia took advantage using only two hits to plate four runs and take an 8-4 lead.
Messiah did score one in the bottom of the frame after
Evan Wagaman led off the inning with a double and
Jarrett Gordon later singled down the left-field line to drive him home. It was not enough as the Falcons left runners stranded on the corners with the tying run at the plate in an 8-5 loss.
What's Up Next
Originally, Messiah and Alvernia were scheduled to play a doubleheader on Saturday. Following the conclusion of Game One, it was determined that forecasted rain would push Game Two to Sunday afternoon at 12:00 p.m. The Falcons will need to win two games on Sunday to clinch their first MAC Commonwealth Championship since the 2012 season, while Alvernia will just need one victory to clinch the Conference Title.
