Messiah wins slugfest in ninth
Falcons down McDaniel with bases-loaded two-out single
GRANTHAM, Pa. – Jordan Zimmerman's third hit of the day came with two outs and the bases loaded of a tie game in the bottom of the ninth, plating Jamie Scott for a 14-13 Messiah victory over McDaniel in non-conference baseball action on Tuesday.
The Falcons (14-15) scored eight runs in the final two frames after watching the Green Terror (9-16) score seven in the seventh for a 12-6 lead.
Brandon Kline (Myersville, Md./Middletown) led McDaniel with his second straight four-hit performance as part of McDaniel's 18-hit attack.
In a game that featured 40 combined hits, the offenses came alive off the two bullpens with 19 of the 27 runs coming off five relievers.
Facing a 12-6 deficit, Messiah batted around in the bottom of the eighth to plate six runs and tie the game.
After a flyout to lead off the inning, Jon Shenk singled to right and advanced to second on an error.
Sean Hart followed with a single before Paul Mellinger was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
A two-RBI single from Dan Etter and an error cut the deficit to 12-9 before Zimmerman singled home Etter to make it a two-run game.
After Tory Arnesen's pinch-hit single put runners at first and second, Adam Ranck followed with a two-run double to knot the game at 12-all.
Patrick Christopher (Union Beach, N.J./St. John Vianney) reached on a one-out single in the ninth before scoring on a single from Russell Coover (Schuylkill Haven, Pa./Blue Mountain) to put the Green Terror back in front.
Matt Turman led off the ninth with a pinch-hit single.
After he stole second, Shenk dropped down the sacrifice bunt to move the tying run to third base.
Scott followed with a pinch-hit double to even the game and Mellinger followed with a walk.
After Etter was hit by a pitch to load the bases, McDaniel got a fly ball for the second out but Zimmerman delivered the game-winning hit.
The teams exchanged singles runs over the first four innings before three straight singles, a sacrifice fly, wild pitch and Matthew Pace (Baltimore, Md./North County) single was the end of the line for Falcon starter Derek Sipe, trailing 5-2 with one out in the fifth.
Josh Hershberger got a line-out double play to get out of a bases-loaded jam after a walk to Sergio Nieto (Mameroneck, N.Y./Rye Neck) – the first batter Hershberger faced.
An Etter triple plated Mellinger in the bottom of the frame to pull the hosts within 5-3 before a Sam Tajiri RBI double keyed a three-run sixth that gave Messiah a 6-5 lead.
A Coover two-run home run and back-to-back two-run singles from Tyler Jackow (Colonia, N.J./Colonia) and Kline fueled a three-pitcher, 11-batter, seven-run seventh for the six-run advantage.
Christopher and Ricky LaSota (Burtonsville, Md./Paint Branch) each had three hits for McDaniel while Coover, Pace and Andrew Worm (Easton, Md./Easton) had two apiece.
The Green Terror returns to action at home against Lebanon Valley on Wednesday. Game time is 3:30 p.m.
Score by
Inning
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
-
R
H
E
McDaniel
(9-16)
0
1
0
1
3
0
7
0
1
-
13
18
2
Messiah
(14-15)
1
0
1
0
1
3
0
6
2
-
14
22
3
Mike Freeman, Gio Fricchione (6) and Ray Hart; Derek Sipe, Josh Hershberger (5), Davin Okerblom (7), Elliott Thomas (7), Travis Thome (9) and David Adams. WP: Thome (3-3). LP: Fricchione (0-2). S: none. SO-BB: Freeman 3-0, Fricchione 1-1; Sipe 1-0, Herschberger 1-2, Okerblom 1-1, Thomas 1-2, Thome 0-0. 2B: Sam Tajiri (Me), Sean Hart (Me), Dan Etter (Me), Adam Ranck (Me). 3B: Etter (Me). HR: Russell Coover (Mc), Sergio Nieto (Mc).
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