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Messiah Outslugs Undefeated Wheaton In 13-6, 9-5 Wins
Junior Ben Kirk was one of a multitude of offensive stars for Messiah, going blasting four RBI in the day's first game.

Leesburg, FL — As the temperatures in central Florida heated up to the mid-80’s Saturday afternoon, the Messiah College baseball team’s bats followed suit, blasting an incredible 21 hits on the day to hand Wheaton College a pair of losses in the second day of spring break competition.

The Falcons used a seven-run third inning to hand the Thunder a 13-6 defeat in the day’s first game while scoring eight runs in the first three innings of the second contest en route to a 9-5 victory, handing Wheaton (7-2) its first losses of the season in the process.

Winning via offensive fireworks was especially pleasing to Messiah head coach Bryan Engle, as the team dropped an 11-9 decision to Ramapo College just a day earlier in its first spring break tilt. Prior to Saturday, Messiah (6-6) was 0-5 in games involving nine or more combined runs.

Saturday against Wheaton, it looked like the hitting festival was exactly what Messiah baseball was about.

“Obviously, I was really happy with how our bats came alive today,” Engle said. “Being a former pitcher, I’m always going to like games a bit lower scoring, but there was plenty of good that came out of today for us as a group. We got our guys feeling really confident at the plate, and our intensity just grew as a result. I was really pleased with how we responded after a loss yesterday. We had plenty of great individual performances, but more importantly was how we fed off of one another. It was a very good day for us in a lot of ways.”

Perhaps the squad’s only missteps occurred at the outset of the day’s first contest, as a pair of errors led to two unearned runs from Wheaton in the top of the first inning. Senior and starting pitcher Dan Kern then found his rhythm on the mound, blanking the Thunder over the next four innings while allowing just seven hits.

Engle’s squad erupted in the bottom of the third inning, scoring seven runs off of seven hits to blow the game wide open. A one-out double from sophomore Sheldon Witmer provided the Falcons with their first base runner, while back-to-back singles from senior Craig Mease and sophomore Adam Ranck loaded the bases. Another one-bagger from sophomore Jon-Mike Richards brought Witmer and Mease home, while an error on Wheaton’s catcher allowed Ranck to score.

A follow-up single from sophomore Jordan Zimmerman kept the pressure on, while a triple from junior Ben Kirk scored both Richards and Zimmerman. A two-out double from sophomore Dan Etter brought two more runs in, and Engle’s team had captured its biggest offensive inning of the season.

As Kern continued to roll on the mound with a comfortable lead, Messiah’s bats again got after it in the bottom of the fifth, scoring four runs thanks largely to another two-RBI knock — this one a single — from Kirk. A fielder’s choice from Etter scored another run, while a two-out double from Mease plated another score.

Now leading by an incredible 11-2 count, a sixth-inning home run and seventh-inning double would prove moot for Wheaton. Kern (3-1) finished with a complete-game win on the mound, striking out seven batters while allowing just four earned runs out of six total.

Kirk was the biggest monster at the plate for Messiah, going 3-4 with two runs scored and a season-high four RBI. Richards finished 2-4 with two runs driven in, while Etter — making his first start of the season at designated hitter — went 1-3 with four RBI.

Messiah blasted a season-high four extra-base hits in the win, as Mease, Etter and Witmer all doubled; Kirk tripled.

“We had a rough start with a couple of errors in the first inning, but Danny really settled into a groove after that,” Engle said. “He pitched some phenomenal middle innings, and our bats just came alive. We had some great intensity start in the dugout, and guys just kept gaining confidence. We made Wheaton pay for some mistakes they made. It was just an overall great game for us collectively.”

As Wheaton was finishing its week-long spring break trip with Saturday’s games, Engle challenged his team to be the aggressor in the day’s second tilt. Serving as the visitors in game two, the Falcons responded, blasting three runs in the first inning (en route to a total eight scores in the first three stanzas) to end things before they really got started. Witmer (1-0) collected his first pitching decision in going six innings on the mound, while again the offensive battery was voracious in nature. A lead-off double from Mease began the merry-go-round in the top of the first, and Messiah’s new slogan was official:

Outscore your opponent.

“I’m not going that far,” Engle said regarding his team’s newfound efficiency at the plate. “I think being out here in the warm weather has something to do with it, and we’re just starting to get comfortable as a team. Once you start playing with a lead, it helps your defense relax, helps your hitters relax and then your pitchers get free with how they throw. The key for us was obviously hitting the ball really well, but we still want to get better at the little things that will win us ballgames down the road.”

Saturday, at least, it was Messiah’s sticks that did the trick, as a pair of singles from Ranck and Kirk helped bring in the team’s first three scores. In the second inning it was a solo home run from Mease that plated one more, while another long ball from Mease scored three more runs in the third.

On the day, Mease finished 5-7 from the plate with five RBI, notching two home runs and two doubles, scoring three times as well. It was arguably the senior’s greatest offensive display of his career.

“What can you say about Craig Mease?” Engle asked. “He was just amazing today at the plate. But what really pleased me was the way our guys did exactly what we asked for out of the gate. We challenged them to get on the board first since we had just taken it to (Wheaton) in game one, and we did just that.”

Engle’s club tacked on another run in the fourth to claim a 9-0 lead, while another pair of homers from the Thunder would make things respectable. Wheaton scored one in the fourth and rattled off four hits en route to a four-run sixth inning, as senior Ben Jordan relieved Witmer in the seventh to retire the game in facing just five batters.

Ranck finished 2-4 in the day’s second game while Kirk, senior Kyle Stuckey and freshman Jamie Scott each drove in a single run as well. Witmer struck out five Thunder batters while walking just four, giving up just six hits.

“To be able to beat such a good Wheaton team in the manner that we did today is a positive for us,” Engle said. “We’ll take a day off tomorrow and then come back ready to go Monday. It’s good to get a pair of wins down here early. I think it could help us as the trip continues.”

Messiah will next square off against Greenville College (IL) on Monday in another double-dip. Game time for the first of two is set for 9:30 a.m.