Box Score

GRANTHAM, PA – The Messiah College baseball team defeated visiting Rowan University, 9-2 in a nonconference game on Tuesday.

Left fielder Sam Tajiri (so. Allentown, PA/Parkland) and catcher Alex Lentz (sr. Mechanicsburg, PA/Delaware County Christian) led the Falcons with two hits in three at bats and two RBIs. Lentz also had a double. Catcher Jamie Scott (jr. Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown) contributed with one hit (one at bat), two RBIs, one run scored and a double. Right fielder Dan Etter (sr. Enola, PA/East Pennsboro) and designated hitter Sheldon Witmer (sr. Lancaster, PA/Penn Manor) scored three and two runs respectively.

Pitcher Travis Thome (jr. Schaefferstown, PA/Eastern Lebanon County) went seven innings for the win. Thome (2-3) only allowed four hits and he struck out eight batters. Davin Okerblom (so. Oakdale, NY/Connetquot) pitched the last two innings. He gave up three hits and two earned runs. Right-hander Mike Halbach (so. Parsippany, NJ/Parsippany Hills) took the loss. He (0-1) was on the mound for six innings.

Rowan left fielder Scott Weaver (jr. Ledgewood, NJ/Roxbury) totaled two hits (five at bats), two RBIs, one run scored and a home run. Center fielder Matt Citro (jr. Bloomsbury, NJ/Phillipsburg) registered a double and scored one run. Shortstop Dave Lenig (sr. Pennsville, NJ/Pennsville Mem.), right fielder Jordan Marsch (sr. Brick, NJ/Brick Twp.), second baseman Brandon Winkler (so. Glendora, NJ/Paul VI) and third baseman Mike Scott (jr. Lafayette, NJ/High Point Reg.) each had one hit.

Messiah took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the second inning. Lentz recorded a two RBI single. Shortstop Paul Mellinger’s (fr. Reistertown, MD/Boys’ Latin School) sacrifice fly in the sixth put the Falcons up 3-0.

In the seventh, Messiah tacked on six more runs for a 9-0 advantage. Tajiri drove in two runs with a single. Witmer walked with the bases loaded for a RBI. Shortstop Tory Arnesen (so. Princeton Jct., NJ/Rutgers Prepatory School) posted a RBI single and Scott knocked in two runs with a double. Both of the Profs’ runs came in the ninth inning. Citro led off with a double and scored on Weaver’s homer.

Rowan hosts conference opponent Richard Stockton College on Thursday, April 15 at 3:30 p.m.