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Baseball Drops Two To Messiah

(Game 1) / (Game 2)
Despite tallying 17 hits between the two games, Widener could not come out with a win over Messiah as they lost the first game 8-2 and the second 10-6 in today's Commonwealth Conference bout in Chester, PA.
 
Messiah (11-19, 5-7 CC) got on the board right away in the first inning, getting two runs off of four hits—all coming from the first four batters of the inning—off starting pitcher Joe Sessa (Broomall, PA).
 
Widener put two base runners on board in the first inning on two hits, but did not score until the bottom of the second inning. Matt Hone (Newtown, PA) drew a one out walk, followed by a single by Eric Von Stetina (Collegeville, PA) and another walk, to load the bases, for lead-off man Brendan O'Brien (Coatesville, PA). O'Brien gained an RBI after being hit by a pitch, bringing in Hone before a 4-6-3 double play ended the inning.
 
In the third inning Messiah gained back that run. Paul Mellinger, who hit 3-for-4 in game one with two runs scored and one RBI, hit a single up the middle and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Right fielder Derek Drake hit a single to right-center to score Mellinger for the Falcon's third run.
 
Messiah was able to put five more runs on the board—one in the fifth and four in the seventh. Three of the four runs in the seventh inning were a result of a bases-clearing triple by shortstop John Brubaker.
 
Widener, in its last at-bat, was able to gain back just one run. O'Brien led the inning off with a double to right-center and moved over to third on a single by second baseman Kyle Summers (Mohnton, PA). A one-out sacrifice fly to center field by Sean Saverio (Horsham, PA) scored O'Brien.
 
Sessa suffered his second loss of the season. Over 2 1/3 innings, he faced 15 batters, gave up three earned runs and struck out two batters. Wes Hollenbach, starting pitcher for the Falcons, gained his third win of the season in four and two-thirds innings.
 
Game two began in a similar fashion, with Messiah putting two runs on the board in the first, but this time the Pride (18-15, 7-8) was able to gain one back right away. O'Brien led off with his eighth double of the season to left-center and was moved over to third by a sacrifice bunt by third baseman Von Stetina. Messiah attempted to turn a 4-6-3 double play on a groundball hit by Saverio, but the throw to first was not in time, scoring O'Brien and giving Saverio an RBI.
 
The score stood still until in the top of the third when the Falcons broke open their lead by gaining six more runs off of six singles (five of them happening in order), a hit batsman and a sacrifice fly.
 
Saverio, who hit 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, hit a triple to deep right center to lead off the bottom of the third inning. He is leading the team in triples with three. Bill Hollingsworth (Drexel Hill, PA) hit a single up the middle to easily score Saverio. The inning came to an end on another 4-6-3 double play.
 
In the fourth inning each team added two runs to its score. Messiah's runs came from a two-run homerun off of the left-center pole on the Blue Monster by Brubaker. On the flip-side of the inning, Sam Christie (Upper Darby, PA) reached base on a throwing error by the third baseman, moving to second on the error and advancing to third base on a steal. O'Brien, hitting 2-for-3 and scoring twice in the second game, picked up an RBI with his base hit single up the middle. Dan Sieracki (Cherry Hill, NJ) scored O'Brien with a single to left field.
 
The top of the fifth brought in pitcher Salvatore Spera (Norristown, PA) to relieve Brandon McCloskey (Belford, NJ). Spera faced seven batters in two complete innings, not giving up any runs and only allowing one hit.
 
With the Falcons' bats frozen the Pride came into its last at-bat down by six. Saverio hit a one-out, two-strike single to right field and scored on a two-out homerun to right-center field hit by Dennis Hocker (Coral Springs, FL). Hocker sits second on both the team and the league in homeruns with five. Although Widener was able to get two more men on base by means of a walk and a single, the game came to an end when a Messiah's shortstop scooped up a ball for out number three.
 
Rick Kazigian (West Chester, PA) pitched 2 1/3 innings and was charged with eight earned runs. Davin Okerblom was awarded his first win of the season after pitching three innings and only allowing one earned run.
 
Widener next hosts Gwynedd-Mercy on Tuesday, beginning at 3:30 pm.
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