FREDERICK, Md. - A fast start over spring break allowed the first-year Hood College baseball team to cross off many 'firsts' for the program, but not all of them. The Blazers checked off two big ones in their doubleheader split with Messiah, picking up the first home and Commonwealth Conference victories in school history. 

After dropping game one, 7-2, Hood broke out the bats and scored an 11-4 win in the nightcap.

Brooks Warrenfeltz (Middletown, Md. / Middletown) reached base all four times in game one, then went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and a walk in game two. For the afternoon, the freshman was 4-for-5 with four walks, two doubles, a run scored and two runs batted in. Tyler Cook (Selinsgrove, Pa. / Selinsgrove) was 4-for-6 on the day with three runs scored, a double, a stolen base and was hit by a pitch. He scored three times. Cameron Esposito (Columbia, N.J. / North Warren Regional) went 4-for-8 with three runs, two RBIs, a double and a walk.

MESSIAH 7, HOOD 2

Hood took advantage of some sloppy defense by the Falcons to cut Messiah's lead to 3-2, but four runs over the final three innings allowed the visitors to pull away.

The Falcons jumped ahead with a three-run fourth inning. Jon Heisey singled in a run, then scored on Jon Mullin's two-run homer for a 3-0 lead.

In the bottom of the frame, Chris Shriver (Frederick, Md. / Gov. Thomas Johnson) reached on an error, then moved to second on a wild pitch. With two outs, John Cartagena (Brookfield, Conn. / Immaculate) was hit by a pitch to put two runners on. Cook followed and hit a slow roller to shortstop. The Falcons committed a pair of throwing gaffes on the play, allowing both runners to score and Cook to get all the way to third. 

Steven Ridings worked his way out of the jam and the Falcons answered with an RBI bunt by Adam Janney for a 4-2 lead. After another run scored in the sixth, Derek Drake put the game out of reach in the seventh with a two-run home run down the line in left.

Cook had two hits in the game, including a double. Esposito doubled and Warrenfeltz walked three times and singled.

Ryan Atkinson (Hamburg, Pa. / Hamburg) started and took the loss. He allowed five runs in five innings on seven hits and two walks. The righthander struck out four. 

Ridings scattered five hits and three walks to pick up the complete game win. He struck out seven.

Drake, Heisey and Joseph Saufley had two hits apiece for the Falcons.

HOOD 11, MESSIAH 4

A five-run fourth inning broke open a tie game and propelled Hood to its first home win and Commonwealth Conference victory in school history.

Saufley homered in the first, but Warrenfeltz doubled for Hood in the third, scoring Esposito to tie the game at 1-1.

In the fifth, Cook and Cartagena singled with one out to force a pitching change. After Zach Scheuerman (Abingdon, Md. / Patterson Mill) walked to load the bases, Messiah switched pitchers again. Esposito followed with a single that was misplayed in the outfield and cleared the bases. Dylan Johnson (Newville, Pa. / Big Spring) hit a sacrifice fly to knock in a run and Josh Gall (Odenton, Md. / Arundel) doubled in another run to make it 6-1.

Saufley drove in two more runs with a fifth inning double to cut the lead to 6-3, but Hood added three runs in the fifth. Drake Friend (Gladwyne, Pa. / Harriton) walked and Cook was hit by a pitch to start the inning. With two outs, Esposito, Warrenfeltz and Johnson ripped consecutive RBI singles to stretch the advantage to 9-3. 

After Messiah scored once in the sixth, a two-run single by Scheuerman sealed the win in the bottom of the inning.

Andrew Catone (Jacksonville, Fla. / Stanton College Prep) pitched 4.2 innings to pick up the win. He allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks, striking out two. Travis Schweizer (Chesapeake, Va. / Grassfield) entered with the tying run on deck in the fifth and finished the game for the save. 

Warrenfeltz and Esposito had three hits apiece. Warrenfeltz doubled twice, drove in two and walked once. Esposito scored three times, walked once and knocked in a pair of runners. Johnson and Scheuerman both had two RBIs.

David Nicolias took the loss. He started and went 3.1 innings, giving up three runs on five hits and two walks. 

Janney had three hits in the losing effort and Saufley drove in three. 

The two teams wrap up the three-game series on Monday, April 13 at Messiah.