READING, Pa. – On Saturday afternoon, the Messiah University baseball team defeated the Golden Wolves of Alvernia University twice to earn the regular season sweep. The Falcons earned a tight 2-1 win in a pitcher's duel in game one, but in game two the Falcons used a seven-run fourth inning to propel Messiah to a 11-8 win.
In game one, after three scoreless innings, the Golden Wolves took the lead in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI ground out. The Falcons answered quickly in the top of the fifth with an RBI single from
Cristian Reyna to tie the game and
Luke Ott scored on a passed ball to give the Falcons a 2-1. The Golden Wolves threatened in the bottom of the seventh, with bases loaded and one out, but
Noah Barrall forced a double play, and the Falcons earned the 2-1 win.
Cristian Reyna led the Falcons offense with one hit and an RBI.
Christian Foltz went six innings, allowing one earned run, on two hits, and 10 strikeouts.
Noah Barrall earned the save with a scoreless seventh inning.
In game two, the Falcons started off the scoring with a run in the top of the first. The Golden Wolves though took the lead in the bottom of the third with four runs. The Falcons then answered back in the top of fourth with a seven-run inning to five the Falcons a 8-4 lead. The Golden Wolves scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to reduce the Falcons lead to 8-6. The Falcons added three more insurance runs in the top of the ninth on a three-run home run from
Luke Ott to extend Messiah's lead to 11-6. The Golden Wolves closed the gap to three in the bottom of the ninth, but the Falcons closed the door and earned the 11-8 win.
Drew Hurst led the Falcons offense with three hits and two RBIs.
Isaiah Parido and
Luke Ott each tallied two hits and three RBIs.
Matt Luchovick and
Dylan Beard added two hits.
Daniel Knight earned the save, pitching three innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits and three strikeouts.
Up next, the Falcons travel to Altoona, Pa. to take on the Lions of Penn St.-Altoona on Tuesday, March 18 at 3:30 p.m.
Game One: Messiah 2, Alvernia 1
After both teams went hitless through three and a half innings, the Golden Wolves looked to get on the board in the bottom of the fourth. The Golden Wolves got the first hit of the game with a double down the right field line. After a sac bunt, the Golden Wolves hit an RBI ground out to give Alvernia a 1-0 lead through four innings of play.
The Falcons looked to answer the Golden Wolves run quickly in the top of the fifth. After a lead off fly out,
Nick Moyer hit a double down the left field line to give the Falcons a runner in scoring position with one out. After a
Luke Ott walk, the runners advanced to second and third on a passed ball.
David Martinez drew a walk, and then
Cristian Reyna hit an RBI single to right field to tie the game at one. In the next at-bat, Reyna stole second and then
Luke Ott scored on another passed ball to give the Falcons a 2-1 lead.
Christian Foltz continued to dominate on the mound, pitching scoreless innings in the fifth and the sixth.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Golden Wolves looked for a chance to tie or win the game. With Foltz still pitching, the Golden Wolves led off the inning with a single and a walk to put runners on first and second with no outs.
Noah Barrall then came in to try to close the game for the Falcons. After a sacrifice bunt put the runners on second and third with one out, the Golden Wolves loaded the bases after a hit by pitch. Barrall though induced a 6-4-3 double play on the next batter to earn the save and preserve the Falcons 2-1 win.
Stats
Cristian Reyna led the Falcons with a hit and an RBI.
Nick Moyer added a double.
Luke Ott scored the winning run on a passed ball.
Christian Foltz earned the win on the mound for the Falcons, pitching six innings, allowing one earned run, on two hits, a walk, and 10 strikeouts.
Noah Barrall earned the save on the mound, pitching a scoreless seventh for the Falcons.
Game Two: Messiah 11, Alvernia 8
The Falcons opened the game strong with a leadoff triple from
Isaiah Parido. After a strikeout,
Drew Hurst hit an RBI single through the right side to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead.
After a scoreless second, the Golden Wolves looked to get on the board in the bottom of the third. The Golden Wolves scored four runs on three hits and a walk to take a 4-1 lead after three innings of play.
The Golden Wolves though would not hold the lead for long.
Dylan Beard led off the top of the fourth reaching on a hit by pitch. Then
Luke Ott and
David Martinez each hit bunt singles to load the bases.
Matt Luchovick then hit an RBI single to center to reduce the Golden Wolves lead to two. After a
Cristian Reyna RBI walk,
Isaiah Parido cleared the bases with a three RBI double to right center to give the Falcons a 6-4 lead. After
Nick Moyer reached on a Golden Wolves error,
Drew Hurst hit an RBI single to push the Falcons lead to three.
Evan Wagaman then grounded into a double play, but Moyer scored from third to increase the Falcons lead to 8-4 after four innings of play.
The Golden Wolves though chipped away at the Falcons lead scoring two runs in the bottom of the fifth to reduce the Falcons lead to 8-6.
The teams then went scoreless for the next three innings until the top of the ninth. After two quick outs, the Falcons looked for a two-out rally.
Evan Wagaman singled to right and then stole second to give the Falcons a runner in scoring position.
Dylan Beard then hit an infield single to put runners on first and third.
Luke Ott then hit a three-run home run to right to push the Falcons a 11-6 lead.
The Golden Wolves scored two runs in the bottom of the night, but
Daniel Knight got the final out on a line out to complete the three inning save and the Falcons 11-8 win.
Stats
Drew Hurst led the Falcons offense with three hits and two RBIs.
Isaiah Parido and
Luke Ott each tallied two hits and three RBIs.
Matt Luchovick and
Dylan Beard added two hits.
Trey Harper earned the win on the mound for the Falcons, pitching 2.1 innings out of the pen, allowing two earned runs and striking out two batters.
Drew Dellinger pitched a scoreless inning out of the bullpen.
Daniel Knight earned the save, pitching three innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits and three strikeouts.
Next
The Falcons travel to Altoona, Pa. to take on the Lions of Penn St.-Altoona on Tuesday, March 18 at 3:30 p.m.
