Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score
GRANTHAM, Pa. – Making his first appearance of the season, sophomore Travis Smart held Messiah to one run over six innings and Lebanon Valley came away with a split against Messiah College in a Commonwealth Conference baseball doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Starry Field.
Behind Smart, Lebanon Valley won the first game 3-2, its first Commonwealth Conference victory of the season. Messiah rallied for a 9-5 victory in the nightcap to capture the three-game season series. The Falcons won the opener 10-4 at LVC on Friday.
Batting in the leadoff spot for the first time this year, sophomore Brandon Thompson led the Flying Dutchmen with a 5-for-8 day at the plate while junior John Mentzer belted his team-leading second home run of the season.
In the opener, Lebanon Valley (2-13, 1-5 CC) scored all three of its runs in the first inning against Messiah starter Ben Jordan. After Thompson led off with a single, senior Dan Kelly doubled two batters later to put runners on second and third. Senior Richie Schwartz and junior Chris Schank followed up with back-to-back walks to push home the Dutchmen’s first run of the game.
Kelly then scored on a fielder’s choice before freshman Grant Wiest ripped an RBI-single, making it 3-0.
Smart made the lead stand up, blanking Messiah (8-9, 4-2 CC) over the first three innings. He surrendered his only run in the fourth on an RBI-double from Jon-Mike Richards.
Jordan (0-3) settled in after the first, shutting out the Dutchmen over the next 4 2/3 before handing the ball to Kurt Heim, who blanked LVC over the final 1 1/3.
The Falcons threatened in each of the last two innings. Messiah loaded the bases in the sixth, but Smart induced an inning-ending fly-out. Wiest came on to pitch the seventh, and leadoff hitter Ben Wenger drew a walk to lead off the inning. He scored two batters later on a two-out, RBI-single from Ben Kirk, who advanced into scoring position by stealing second. But Wiest got a pop-out to short to end the game and pick up his second save of the season.
Thompson finished 3-for-4 for the Dutchmen while Kirk led the Falcons with a 3-for-4 effort of his own.
Smart (1-0) limited Messiah to six hits and two walks while striking out one.
The Falcons never trailed in the second game, leading 2-0 after the first inning and 6-2 after two innings of play. Messiah took advantage of five LVC errors, scoring four of its runs unearned.
Messiah scored twice on three hits and one error in the first against LVC starter Nick Faria before the Dutchmen rallied to tie the game with a two-run second. Schank and Mentzer got on with back-to-back, one-out singles before Wiest drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Mentzer stole second and scored on an error, tying the game 2-2.
The Falcons broke out with a four-run second that was fueled by five hits and two errors. Freshman Josh Muscalus limited the damage, coming in out of the pen to get the last out of the inning.
Muscalus threw well the rest of the game, holding Messiah to three runs (two earned) on three hits over the final 4 1/3 innings. He struck out three and did not issue a walk.
Lebanon Valley cut the deficit to 6-3 when Kelly singled and scored on an error. But the Falcons responded, scoring twice on three hits in the fourth, then plating an unearned run in the fifth to make it 9-3.
The Dutchmen set the final score in the sixth, when Schwartz led off with a single before Mentzer’s two-run blast two batters later.
Dan Kern (3-0) worked a complete game for Messiah. He scattered nine hits, walked one and struck out two.
Faria (0-1) was charged with the loss.
Thompson, Schwartz, and Mentzer all had two hits for the Valley. Mentzer finished 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs.
Lebanon Valley returns to action on Sunday, when it hosts the University of Scranton in a non-conference doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
[Photo - Sophomore Brandon Thompson]
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