Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score
GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Lebanon Valley College baseball team split a doubleheader at Messiah College in Commonwealth Conference action Saturday afternoon.
The Flying Dutchmen dropped a 5-2 decision in the opener but came back with a 5-3 victory in the nightcap.
With the split, Lebanon Valley (10-13, 7-6 CC) took two out of three games from the defending Commonwealth Conference champion. The Dutchmen defeated Messiah 9-7 in Annville on Friday.
LVC has now won seven of its last eight Commonwealth contests.
In the first game, The Dutchmen took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second on an RBI-triple by junior Ron Weaver (Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Catholic) and a sacrifice fly by freshman Jared Smith (Palmyra, Pa./Palmrya). But Messiah tied things up with a pair of runs in its half of the second, then pulled away with three runs in the sixth.
Sophomore Tony Gebhard (Lebanon, Pa./Lebanon Catholic) started on the mound for LVC and was handed the loss. Gebhard (0-2) gave up all five runs on nine hits and one walk over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out three.
Sophomore Nick Lindner (2-2) fired a four-hit complete for Messiah. Lindner held senior Jeff Grieger (Rieglesville, Pa./Wilson) hitless, ending his hitting streak at 11.
In the nightcap, LVC never trailed after jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the second. The Falcons answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning, but senior Casey Long (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) restored the Dutchmen's two-run lead with a solo home run, his second of the season, in the third inning.
Lebanon Valley added a pair of runs in the fourth to extend its lead to 5-1. Messiah rallied with one run in the fourth and seventh, but it wasn't enough as junior Robert Nordall (Lebanon, Pa./Lebanon) held on to pick up the win while hurling his second complete game of the season. Nordall (2-1) yielded five hits and five walks while striking out four.
Grieger laced a double in the nightcap, giving him 99 hits for his career.
Messiah starting pitcher Matthew Allen threw 3 2/3 innings and allowed all five of the Dutchmen's runs. Allen (4-1) surrendered four hits and four walks, and he struck out two.
Lebanon Valley returns to Commonwealth Conference action on Sunday when the Dutchmen host Juniata College in a rescheduled doubleheader starting at noon.
[Photo - Junior Robert Nordall, who threw a five-hit complete game in Lebanon Valley's 5-3 win over Messiah on Saturday]
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