GRANTHAM, Pa. – On Tuesday afternoon, the Messiah University baseball team used a -seven-run fifth innings to lead the Falcons to a 12-6 win over the Knights of Arcadia University. Both teams started the game with a run in the first to keep the game tied. The Knights then scored a run in both the second and the third to take a 3-1 lead. After three-straight scoreless innings from the Falcons, the offense exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the fifth to take an 8-3 lead. After Arcadia scored a run in the top of the sixth, the Falcons added three more runs in the bottom of the seventh to take a 11-4 lead. The Falcons added a run in the bottom of the eighth and the Knights added two in the top of the ninth, but the Falcons earned the 12-6 win. Luke Ott led the Falcons with two hits, two RBIs, and two runs scored. Isaiah Parido, Evan Wagaman, Dylan Beard, and Carter Reid each tallied a hit and two RBIs. In a bullpen game, Sawyer Shepherd earned the win after a scoreless inning with one strikeout.
 
Up next, the Falcons host game one of the MAC Commonwealth Semifinal series against the Pride of Widener University on Friday, May 2 at 3:30 p.m.

Messiah 12, Arcadia 6
The Knights got an early lead with a sacrifice fly in the top of the first. The Falcons though looked to answer. With one out Jarrett Gordon triple to right field and then Drew Hurst reached on a walk. After Gordon was picked off at third, Evan Wagaman drilled an RBI triple to right to tie the game at one.
 
The Knights then brought home a run in the second and the third to take a 3-1 through three innings.
 
After a scoreless fourth inning and top of the fifth, the Falcons looked to get the offense back on the board in the bottom of the fifth. Luke Ott led off the inning with a single into left field. After a pop out, David Martinez reached on a hit by pitch to put runners on first and second with one out. After the two runners advanced on a wild pitch, the Falcons popped out for the second out in the inning. The Knights though changed pitchers, favoring the lefty-lefty matchup, but Isaiah Parido made them pay with a two-RBI double to tie the game at three. Jarrett Gordon then reached on a hit by pitch and Drew Hurst to load the bases. After another pitching change, Evan Wagaman brought in a run with an RBI hit by pitch to give the Falcons the lead. Dylan Beard and Luke Ott both then hit two-RBIs singles to extend the Falcons lead to 8-3 through five innings.
 
The Knights then bounced back in the top of the sixth with a run on an RBI single to reduce the Falcons lead to 8-4.
 
The Falcons looked to add to their lead in the bottom of the seventh. Drew Hurst led off the inning with a walk and after a lineout, Carter Reid came in to pinch hit and drilled a two-run home run to right center to extend the Falcons lead to six. After a Luke Ott walk, Dustin Isanogle hit an RBI double down the left field line to give the Falcons a 11-4 lead.
 
The Falcons added their final run of the game with a solo home run from Drew Hurst to give the Falcons a 12-4 lead.
 
The Knights scored two runs in the top of the ninth, but the Falcons ended the game with a Noah Barrall strikeout to give the Falcons the 12-6 win
 
Stats
Luke Ott led the Falcons with two hits, two RBIs, and two runs scored. Isaiah Parido, Evan Wagaman, Dylan Beard, and Carter Reid each tallied a hit and two RBIs. In a bullpen game, Sawyer Shepherd earned the win after a scoreless inning with one strikeout. Drew Dellinger, Owen Hannevig, and Zachary Harris all threw scoreless innings out of the pen for the Falcons.
 
Next
The Falcons host game one of the MAC Commonwealth Semifinal series against the Pride of Widener University on Friday, May 2 at 3:30 p.m.