MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – On Wednesday afternoon, the Messiah University baseball team dropped a game against the fourteenth-ranked Lions of Penn St. Harrisburg, 8-5. The Falcons took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first. The score stayed the same until a
Dylan Beard grand slam in the top of the seventh gave the Falcons a 5-0 lead. The Lions though struck for eight runs in the bottom of the seventh, capped off by a grand slam of their own to earn the 8-5 win.
Dylan Beard led the Falcons with two hits, including a grand slam, and four RBIs.
Matt Luchovick tallied two hits, and a run scored.
Sawyer Shepherd earned the start and the no-decision with five innings of scoreless pitching, allowing only two hits, five walks, and two strikeouts.
Up next, the Falcons open the three-game series with the Mustangs of Stevenson University at home on Friday, March 28 at 3:30 p.m.
No. 14 PSU Harrisburg 8, Messiah 5
The Falcons looked to open the game strong in the top of the first.
Isaiah Parido led off the game with a walk, and then
Dylan Beard hit a single to put runners on first and second with no outs. After
Drew Hurst advanced the runners on a sacrifice bunt,
Evan Wagaman hit an RBI groundout to give the Falcons the 1-0 lead.
Sawyer Shepherd then went to work for the Falcons on the mound. Shepherd threw five scoreless innings for the Falcons on the bump, with multiple innings pitching out of jams and holding the Falcons lead through five innings of play.
Walker Cloudt continued the Falcons great pitching with a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the sixth to hold the score at 1-0.
Even though the Falcons had been held off the scoreboard since the top of the first, the bats looked to come alive in the top of the seventh.
Matt Luchovick led off the inning, reaching second on a dropped fly ball to left field. After a strike out and a ground out,
Jarrett Gordon singled to left and then advanced to second on a throwing error to put runners on second and third with two outs. The Lions then intentionally walked
Isaiah Parido to load the bases for the
Dylan Beard. Beard made the Lions pay with a grand slam to left field to push the Falcons lead to 5-0.
The Lions however also got the bats going in bottom of the seventh. The Lions scored eight runs on three hits, including a grand slam that capped off the big inning for the Lions and gave them a 8-5 lead.
The Falcons looked to answer in the top of the eighth.
Evan Wagaman led off the inning reaching on an error from the Lions short stop and then stole second. After a
Carter Reid then walked, and
Evan Wagaman stole third to put runners on the corners with no outs. After a strikeout, Reid stole second, but the Falcons could not bring in either of the runners and the score remained 8-5.
After a scoreless bottom of the eighth from
Owen Hannevig, the Falcons looked for final chance to comeback in the top of the ninth.
Jarrett Gordon led off the inning reaching on an error, but the Falcons could not rally any hits together and the Lions earned the 8-5 win.
Stats
Dylan Beard led the Falcons with two hits, including a grand slam, and four RBIs.
Matt Luchovick tallied two hits, and a run scored.
Jarrett Gordon also added a hit, and a run scored.
Sawyer Shepherd earned the start and the no-decision with five innings of scoreless pitching, allowing only two hits, five walks, and two strikeouts.
Owen Hannevig added a scoreless frame out of the bullpen with a strikeout.
Next
the Falcons open the three-game series with the Mustangs of Stevenson University at home on Friday, March 28 at 3:30 p.m.
