GRANTHAM, Pa. – On Tuesday afternoon, the Messiah University baseball team used a strong offensive performance to defeat the Chargers of LBC, 18-4. The Falcons opened the game with two runs in the bottom of the first to take an early 2-0 lead. The Chargers responded with two runs in the top of the second, but the Falcons scored another two runs to take a 4-2 lead after two innings. After a scoreless third, the Falcons scored a run in the four to extend their lead to 5-2. The Falcons then scored six runs over the next three innings to take an 11-2 lead through seven innings. The Falcons scored seven runs in the bottom of the eighth and the Chargers scored two in the top of the ninth to put the final score at 18-4. Isaiah Parido and Cristian Reyna led the Falcons with two hits and three RBIs each. Brayden Kratz, Landon Mark, and Carter Reid each tallied two hits and two RBIs. Drew Hurst added two hits.
 
Up next, the Falcons travel to St. Davids, Pa. to take on the Eagles of Eastern University on Friday, April 17 at 3:30 p.m.
 
Messiah 18, LBC 4
The Falcons looked to open the game strong in the bottom of the third. Isaiah Parido walked and then stole second to put a runner in scoring position with no outs. After a strikeout, Parido advanced to third on a wild pitch and then Drew Hurst walked. After another strikeout, Carter Reid hit an RBI single to right to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead. Reid stole second and the Chargers' catcher threw the ball away, scoring Hurst to push the Falcons lead to two.
 
The Chargers answered with a two-run home run in the top of the second to tie the game at two.
 
The Falcons looked to take the lead back in the bottom of the second. Kyler Parks led off the inning reaching on an error by the Chargers short stop. Isaiah Parido then ripped an RBI triple down the right-field line to give the Falcons a 3-2 lead. Cristian Reyna then hit an RBI groundout to give the Falcons a 4-2 lead through two.
 
After the second-straight scoreless inning from Kolten Martin on the mound, the Falcons looked to extend their lead in the bottom of the fourth. Cristian Reyna led off the inning with a single up the middle. After a fly out, Reyna stole second and then Landon Mark hit an infield single to short to put runners on the corners with one out. Carter Reid then hit a sacrifice fly to right to push the Falcons lead to 5-2 through four innings of play.
 
After the Falcons got out of a jam in the top of the fifth, they looked to add to their lead in the bottom of the fifth. David Martinez led off the inning with a double and then Kyler Parks reached third on a throwing error by the Chargers pitcher to push the Falcons lead to four. Cristian Reyna then hit a two-run home run to left to give the Falcons an 8-2 lead through six innings.
 
The Falcons added to their lead in the bottom of the sixth after a Brayden Kratz two-out walk, Isaiah Parido hit a two-run home run to center field to give the Falcons a 10-2 lead.
 
 The Falcons continued to add in their lead in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI single from Brayden Burkholder to give the Falcons a nine-run lead.
 
The Falcons looked to continue to swing hot bats in the bottom of the eighth. With one out, Brayden Kratz hit a solo home run to push the Falcons lead to 10. After Luke Ott reached on a hit by pitch and a Micah Smith single, Hudson Rue hit an RBI double to left to give the Falcons an 11-run lead. Landon Mark then hit a two-RBI single to give the Falcons a 15-2 lead. The Falcons added three more runs in the innings on RBI singles from Joshua Boll, Kratz, and Brody Travagline to give the Falcons an 18-2 lead headed into the final frame.
 
The Chargers scored two runs in the top of the ninth to give the Falcons the 18-4 win.
 
Stats
Isaiah Parido and Cristian Reyna led the Falcons with two hits and three RBIs each. Brayden Kratz, Landon Mark, and Carter Reid each tallied two hits and two RBIs. Drew Hurst added two hits. Brayden Burkholder, Hudson Rue, Brody Travagline each tallied a hit and an RBI. Kolten Martin earned the win on the mound, pitching five innings, allowing two runs on four hits, and two strikeouts. Walker Cloudt pitched two scoreless innings out of the pen with four strikeouts. Trey Harper also added a scoreless inning out of the bullpen.
 
Next
The Falcons travel to St. Davids, Pa. to take on the Eagles of Eastern University on Friday, April 17 at 3:30 p.m.