ASHLAND, Va. – On Saturday afternoon, the seventh-ranked Messiah University baseball team fell in both games of the doubleheader to the Yellow Jackets of Randolph-Macon College.
In game one, the Falcons opened the scoring on an RBI ground out in the top of the second. The Yellow Jackets scored two runs in the second to take a 2-1 lead. The Yellow Jackets then added a run in the fifth and sixth to extend their lead to 4-1. The Falcons scored a run in the seventh on an RBI single, but the Yellow Jackets did not allow any more runs and earned the 4-2 win.
Carter Reid led the Falcons with two hits.
Brayden Burkholder and
Matt Luchovick each tallied a hit and an RBI.
In game two, the Falcons scored a run in the first to take an early lead. The Yellow Jackets then scored three unanswered to go up 3-1 headed into the third. The Falcons added a run in the third on a sac fly to reduce the Yellow Jackets lead to one headed into the bottom of the third. The Yellow Jackets then scored four runs in the third to take a 7-2 lead. The Falcons scored a run in the fourth and then scored four runs in the sixth to tie the game at seven. The Yellow Jackets responded with two runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 9-7 lead. Neither team added any runs and the Yellow Jackets earned the 9-7 win.
David Martinez and
Connor Voelksen each led the Falcons with two hits.
Carter Reid tallied a hit and two RBIs.
Brayden Burkholder added a hit and an RBI.
Up next, the Falcons travel to Baltimore, Md. to take on the eleventh-ranked Blue Jays of Johns Hopkins University on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 4:00 p.m.
Game One: RMC 4, No. 7 Messiah 2
In the top of the first, the Falcons got their first hit on the season on a one out single from
Carter Reid. After Reid was caught stealing,
Drew Hurst reached on a walk, but the Yellow Jackets got out of the first with a strikeout.
After a scoreless bottom of the first, the Falcons looked to get on the board in the top of the second.
Nick Moyer led off the inning reaching second on a throwing error by the Yellow Jackets third basemen. After a balk,
Brayden Burkholder hit an RBI groundout to second to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead after the top of the second.
The Yellow Jackets then responded with two runs on two hits and two Falcons errors, but
Christian Foltz limited the damage on the mound getting out of the inning with a popout.
The Falcons opened the third with a leadoff single from
David Martinez. After Martinez stole second, the Falcons went down in order to keep the score at 2-1 headed into the bottom of the third.
After a scoreless bottom of the third and top of the fourth, the Yellow Jackets looked to add to their lead in the bottom of the fourth. The Yellow Jackets loaded the bases with two outs, and
Daniel Knight came out of the bullpen for the Falcons and got Messiah out of the inning with a groundout to keep the score at 2-1 through four.
After a scoreless top of the fifth, the Yellow Jackets added a run in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single to push the Yellow Jackets lead to two.
After working around a
Carter Reid single in the top of the sixth, the Yellow Jackets added to their lead with an RBI single to give Randolph-Macon a 4-1 lead.
In the top of the seventh, the Falcons looked to mount a comeback. After a strikeout,
Brayden Burkholder doubled to give the Falcons a runner in scoring position with one out. After
Brody Travagline pinch ran for Burkholder,
Matt Luchovick hit an RBI single to reduce the Yellow Jackets lead to 4-2.
The Falcons could not get another base runner, and the Yellow Jackets earned the 4-2 win.
Stats
Carter Reid led the Falcons with two hits.
Brayden Burkholder and
Matt Luchovick each tallied a hit and an RBI.
David Martinez added a hit and a stolen base.
Christian Foltz earned the start and pitched 3.2 innings, allowing four hits, two unearned runs, four walks, and seven strikeouts.
Daniel Knight pitched 3.1 innings out of the pen with four hits allowed, two earned runs, and two walks.
Walker Cloudt also pitched a scoreless inning out of the pen, allowing one hit and striking out one batter.
Game Two: RMC 9, No. 7 Messiah 7
Isaiah Parido led off the game with a walk and then stole second to give the Falcons an early runner in scoring position. After a flyout and another Parido stolen base,
Carter Reid reached on an error by the Yellow Jackets short stop that scored Parido to give the Falcons an early lead.
The Yellow Jackets quickly took the lead with two runs on two hits and two Falcons' errors in the bottom of the first and then added another run in the bottom of the second on an RBI groundout to take a 3-1 lead headed into the third.
In the top of the third,
Connor Voelksen led off the inning with single to left field. After a Parido single,
Nick Moyer grounded out to the pitcher, but the two runners advanced to put runners on second and third with one out.
Carter Reid then hit a sacrifice fly to center field to reduce the Yellow Jackets lead to 3-2.
The Yellow Jackets then responded with a four-run bottom of the third to push their lead to 7-2.
The Falcons looked to start to battle back in the top of the fourth.
David Martinez led off the inning with a single and then
Luke Ott singled to put runners on first and second with no outs. After a fielder's choice and strikeout,
Landon Mark stole second, but on the play, Martinez stole home to reduce the Yellow Jackets lead to four.
After a couple of scoreless innings from
Zachary Harris on the mound, the Falcons looked to battle back into the game in the top of the sixth.
Landon Mark led off the inning with a single and then
Cristian Reyna reached on a hit by pitch to put runners on first and second with no outs.
Connor Voelksen then hit an RBI double to left to cut the Yellow Jackets lead to three. After a Parido walk,
Nick Moyer hit a sacrifice fly to left to put the Falcons within two. After
Carter Reid reached on a fielder's choice, Reid stole second and, on the steal, Voelksen stole home to cut the Falcons deficit to one.
Brayden Burkholder then hit an RBI single to tie the game seven, but the Yellow Jackets got out the inning with a line out.
The Yellow Jackets again responded this time with a two-run bottom of the sixth to take a 9-7 lead.
The Falcons had multiple chances with the tying run in scoring position in both the seventh and eighth inning, but the Yellow Jackets bullpen got out of both jams to earn the 9-7 win.
Stats
David Martinez and
Connor Voelksen each led the Falcons with two hits.
Carter Reid tallied a hit and two RBIs.
Brayden Burkholder added a hit and an RBI.
Isaiah Parido reached base four times on a hit and three walks.
Zachary Harris pitched six innings, allowing nine runs (seven earned), on eight hits, one walk, and one strikeout.
Trey Harper pitched two scoreless innings out of the pen with one strikeout.
Next
The Falcons travel to Baltimore, Md. to take on the eleventh-ranked Blue Jays of Johns Hopkins University on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 4:00 p.m.
