Box Score

ANNVILLE, Pa. – Senior Mark Schauren (Columbia, Pa./Columbia) went 3-for-5 with five RBIs and classmate Dallas Noll (Myerstown, Pa./ELCO) scattered nine hits in a complete-game victory as Lebanon Valley cruised to an 11-2 win over Messiah College in a crucial Commonwealth Conference baseball game Thursday afternoon at McGill Park.

The victory pulled LVC (14-12, 9-10 CC) to within a half game of Albright College for the fourth and final spot in the upcoming Commonwealth Conference tournament.

The Flying Dutchmen piled on 20 hits and sent Messiah (17-13, 10-9 CC), which currently is in third place in the conference standings, to its fourth Commonwealth loss in a row.

Although the game was played at Lebanon Valley, the Falcons served as the home team. Messiah was originally scheduled to play the game at home but a conflict involving field arrangements resulted in the game's relocation to LVC.

Lebanon Valley broke the game open with a four-run, five-hit second, highlighted by a three-run double by Schauren. The Dutchmen scored seven times before the Falcons would put a run on the scoreboard in the sixth.

Sophomore Scott Montgomery (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Township) was one of three Dutchmen to collect three hits on the afternoon. Montgomery went 3-for-6 with three runs. Senior Tim Rink (Ivyland, Pa./Council Rock) hit 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles while sophomore Jason Luis (Pemberton, N.J./Pemberton Township) was 3-for-5 with a triple.

Senior Joe Zielke (Media, Pa./Penncrest), junior Jeff Grieger (Riegelsville, Pa./Wilson) and sophomore Craig Denlinger (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) each ripped a pair of hits for the Valley.

LVC pounced on Messiah starter Nathan Derstein right away and broke out to a 6-0 lead after two innings. Schauren and Grieger smacked run-scoring singles in the first to put the Dutchmen on top 2-0.

Montgomery made it 3-0 with an RBI single in the second and three batters later Schauren delivered his bases-clearing hit, a towering drive to left-center.

Messiah then replaced Derstein (1-3) with freshman Garrett Dobbs. Derstein was touched for six runs on nine hits in just 1 1/3 innings of work.

Dobbs intentionally walked his first batter, but then retired nine in a row from the second through the fifth innings. The Valley finally reached Dobbs with one run on three hits in the seventh, then tacked on four more runs on six hits in the eighth and ninth.

The Falcons broke up Noll's shutout bid with one run on two hits in the sixth.

Noll (3-2), who picked up his first win since April 13, walked four and struck out three.

Dobbs gave up 11 hits and five runs in 7 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out six.

Lebanon Valley concludes its Commonwealth schedule at noon on Saturday with a doubleheader against Messiah at McGill Park.

[Photo - Senior Mark Schauren, who went 3-for-5 with a season-high five RBIs against Messiah on Thursday]

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