READING, Pa. – On Friday afternoon, the Messiah University baseball team opened the three-game series with the Lions of Albright College with a 5-2 win. The Lions got on the board in the bottom of the first with a sacrifice fly. The Falcons though answered back in the top of the second with a two-run home run from
Nick Moyer to give the Falcons a 2-1 lead. The Falcons scored a run in the top of the fifth and two runs in top of the sixth to take a 5-1 lead. The Lions added a run in the bottom half of the sixth to reduce the Falcons lead to 5-2. The pitching took over as both teams remained scoreless for the next two innings. In the bottom of the ninth,
Trey Harper finished off the two inning save stranding runners on first and second to give the Falcons the 5-2 win.
Luke Ott led the Falcons with two hits and a run scored.
Nick Moyer hit a home run and totaled two RBIs, and two runs scored.
Drew Hurst added a hit and an RBI.
Jason Long earned the win, pitching seven innings, allowing two earned runs, on three hits, two walks, and 10 strikeouts.
Trey Harper earned the two-inning save, allowing two hits and striking out two batters.
Up next, the Falcons head back home to host the Lions of Albright College for the final two games of the season series on Saturday, March 22. First pitch in game one is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.
Messiah 5, Albright 2
After a scoreless top of the first, the Lions looked to get on the board in the bottom of the first. After a leadoff triple, the Lions hit a sacrifice fly to right to give the Lions an early lead.
The Falcons looked to answer the Lions early run in the top of the second.
Matt Luchovick led off the inning reaching first on a hit by pitch.
Luke Ott then moved Luchovick to second with a sacrifice bunt.
Nick Moyer then drilled a two-run home run to give the Falcons a 2-1 lead.
Both pitchers then settled in with two straight scoreless innings to keep the score at 2-1 headed into the top of the fifth.
In the top of the fifth,
Isaiah Parido walked with one out to give the Falcons a dangerous base runner.
Drew Hurst then singled to center, but an error by the Lions' center fielder allowed Parido to score from first with his speed to push the Falcons lead to 3-1.
After
Jason Long struck out the side in the bottom of the fifth, the Falcons looked to add some more insurance runs in the top of the sixth.
Luke Ott led off the inning with a triple to right field.
Nick Moyer then was hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners with no outs.
Dustin Isanogle then scored Ott from third on a sacrifice ground out to the pitcher to push the Falcons lead to three. After a
Jarrett Gordon single put runners on the corners,
David Martinez hit a line drive to center field that was deep enough to score Moyer from third and the Falcons extend their lead to 5-1.
The Lions added a run in the bottom of the sixth to reduce the Falcons lead to 5-2.
Both offenses were shut down until the bottom of the ninth. After
Trey Harper pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the eighth, the Lions got two base runners with back-to-back singles with one out. Harper then got a fielder's choice and a strikeout to close out the game and give the Falcons a 5-2 win.
Stats
Luke Ott led the Falcons with two hits and a run scored.
Nick Moyer hit a home run and totaled two RBIs, and two runs scored.
Drew Hurst added a hit and an RBI.
Jason Long earned the win, pitching seven innings, allowing two earned runs, on three hits, two walks, and 10 strikeouts.
Trey Harper earned the two-inning save, allowing two hits and striking out two batters.
Next
The Falcons head back home to host the Lions of Albright College for the final two games of the season series on Saturday, March 22. First pitch in game one is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.
