ANNVILLE, Pa. – On Tuesday afternoon, the Messiah University baseball team held off a late-ninth inning rally to defeat the Flying Dutchmen of Lebanon Valley College, 8-6. The Flying Dutchmen and Falcons both scored a run in the first two innings to keep the game tied. In the fourth inning, the Falcons scored four runs to take a 5-1 lead. The Flying Dutchmen scored a run in the bottom of the fourth to reduce the Falcons lead to three. The Falcons added two runs in the seventh and one in the eighth to push their lead to 8-2. The Flying Dutchmen almost made a comeback, scoring four runs in the bottom of the ninth, but Trey Harper got the final two outs to earn the save for the Falcons. Isaiah Parido and Drew Hurst led the Falcons with two hits and an RBI each. Evan Wagaman, Jarrett Gordon, and Dustin Isanogle each added a hit and an RBI. Chris Beatty Jr. earned the win pitching 2.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
 
Up next, the Falcons host the Blazers of Hood College on Thursday, April 3 for a doubleheader starting at 12:00 p.m.

Messiah 8, LVC 6
The Flying Dutchmen opened the game with a run in the bottom of the first to take a 1-0 lead.
 
The Falcons looked to answer the early run in the top of the second. With one out, Luke Ott walked and then stole second. After a strikeout, Ott stole third and then Dustin Isanogle walked. Ott then scored after a steal by Isanogle allowed him to steal home and the Falcons tied the game at one.
 
After a scoreless third, the Falcons looked to break the tie game in the top of the fourth. Luke Ott led off the inning reaching on a hit by pitch and then stealing second and third. Jarrett Gordon then hit an RBI double to give the Falcons the lead. Gordon then stole third and Dustin Isanogle hit a sacrifice fly to center to push the Falcons lead to two. Nick Moyer then reached first on an error and after a fielder's choice got Isaiah Parido on base, Dylan Beard walked to put runners on first and second with two outs. Drew Hurst then ripped an RBI single down the right field line to give the Falcons a 4-1 lead. The Flying Dutchmen pitcher then balked bringing in the final run of the inning for the Falcons to extend their lead to 5-1.
 
The Flying Dutchmen scored a run in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single to reduce the Falcons lead to 5-2. 
 
After both teams went scoreless for the next two innings, the Falcons looked to break the scoreless streak in the top of the seventh. Dylan Beard led off the inning with a walk. After a fly out, Evan Wagaman hit an RBI triple to left center to push the Falcons lead back four. After a strikeout, Luke Ott scored Wagaman on a LVC error to extend the Falcons lead to 7-2.
 
The Falcons added another run in the top of the eighth on a sacrifice fly from Isaiah Parido to give the Falcons an 8-2 lead.
 
The Flying Dutchmen though were not going down without a fight. The Flying Dutchmen reduce the Falcons lead to two with only one out, but Trey Harper picked up his third save of the season, getting the final two outs to give the Falcons the 8-6 win.
 
Stats
Isaiah Parido and Drew Hurst led the Falcons with two hits and an RBI each. Evan Wagaman, Jarrett Gordon, and Dustin Isanogle each added a hit and an RBI. Chris Beatty Jr. earned the win pitching 2.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Sawyer Shepherd got the start on the mound for the Falcons and went 3.2 innings, allowing two earned runs, on three hits, four walks, and seven strikeouts. Trey Harper earned the save, pitching 0.2 innings with a strikeout.
 
Next
The Falcons host the Blazers of Hood College on Thursday, April 3 for a doubleheader starting at 12:00 p.m.