GRANTHAM, Pa. - Hood College's Jordan Patterson struck out 10 and went the distance in a game one win but Messiah threw out the tying run at the plate in the ninth inning of game two as the teams split the Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth doubleheader. The Blazers captured the opener 5-3 with the Falcons taking a 4-3 win in the nightcap. 

On the Mound

• Patterson, who improved to 2-1 on the year, tossed his second straight complete game. His 10 strikeouts were just one shy of Hood's single-game record. Patterson, who went 1-for-3 in the game out of the leadoff spot in the order, allowed three runs on five hits and did not walk a batter. 
• Ryan D'Allesandro started game two for Hood and went five innings, allowing two earned runs in 5.1 innings of work. Jahlin Jean-Baptiste struck out five in 2.2 innings but took the loss. 

At the Plate

• Andrew Wenner had two multi-hit games, going 4-for-8 with a double over the course of the twinbill. 
• Alex Jenkins finished 3-for-7 with two RBIs and a walk. 
• Stephen Sommer was 3-for-7 with a double, two runs scored and a run batted in. 
• Nick Rampone doubled and scored three times. 

Hood 5, Messiah 3

• It took just two batters for the Blazers to get on the scoreboard in the opener. Patterson reached on an error and scored on a double by Sommer. Wenner drove in a run later in the inning to make it 2-0. 
• In the third inning, Sommer struck out but reached on a wild pitch. Rampone followed with a base hit and Wenner sacrificed the runners to second and third. A two-out, two-run single off the bat of Jenkins stretched the lead to 4-0. 
• Patterson faced just one batter over the minimum through the first five innings and allowed just two base runners before the sixth. The Falcons cut Hood's lead to 4-3 in the sixth when Jarod Bingaman stroked a two-run double and scored on a sacrifice fly by Kasey Caras. 
• Wenner doubled in the seventh, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch to give Hood an insurance run. 
• Wenner had two hits in the game, while Rampone scored twice and Jenkins drove in a pair. 
• Bingaman had two hits for Messiah. 
• Trent Culver took the loss, allowing four runs in four innings. 

Messiah 4, Hood 3

• The tying run was thrown out a home plate, allowing the Falcons to preserve a 4-3 win and the split. 
• Neither team scored before a two-run fourth by Messiah. Hood followed in the top of the fifth with an RBI single by Nalley to make it 2-1. 
• After Bingaman tripled in the sixth, a single by Caras stretched the Messiah advantage to 3-1. Jean-Baptiste came on in relief and escaped the jam without further damage. 
• Sommer led off Hood's half of the seventh with a single and scored on a double by Rampone to cut the deficit to a single run. A Messiah run later in the inning allowed Rampone to score, tying the game at 3-3. 
• Messiah reclaimed the lead in the eighth when Bingaman scored from second on a fielder's choice. 
• In the top of the ninth, Wenner reached on a single. Jenkins followed with a base hit and Wenner was waved around but thrown out at home plate to end the game. 
• Six different players had two hits apiece for the Blazers - Chris Nalley, Sommer, Wenner, Rampone, Jenkins and James DeProspero. 
• Caras was 3-for-3 for Messiah. Josh Nielsen picked up the win with a scoreless eighth and Bingaman, who scored three times as a hitter, notched the save. 

Notes

• Hood is 4-6 on the year, including 2-2 in the MAC Commonwealth. 
• Messiah improved to 4-9-1 this season and 2-9-1 in the conference. 

Up Next
The two teams wrap up the season series with a doubleheader hosted by Hood on April 3 at noon.