GRANTHAM, Pa. - Hood College's baseball team ended its season dropping both ends of a Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth doubleheader at Messiah 3-1 and 5-1.
On the Mound
- Joe Alexander (Leesburg, Va./Loudoun County) started the first game for the Blazers and threw his fourth complete game in a row, allowing three runs on six hits in a loss. He had five strikeouts in six innings of work.
- Tyler Cooney (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) got the start on the mound in game two. The sophomore let in three runs on three hits in four innings. He walked three and struck out three in a loss.
- Gavin McGuigan (Croydon, Pa./Holy Ghost Prep) gave up one run on one hit in the fifth inning.
- Scott Ash (Middletown, Pa./Middletown), Cole Whitton (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) and Kevin Nelson, Jr. (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock Twp.) all retired a batter in the sixth inning, combining to allow one run on two hits.
At the Plate
- Austin Rhue (Milton, Del./Cape Henlopen) led the Blazers at the plate totalling three hits on the day. The first-year student doubled and scored once.
- Richard Kershow (Eatons Neck, N.Y./Northport) knocked in two RBIs on a two-hit afternoon.
- Jacob Saylor (Walkersville, Md./Walkersville) recorded a hit, walked twice and was hit by a pitch in the doubleheader.
Messiah 3, Hood 1
- Hood struck first in the first inning. Stephen Sommer (Leesburg, Va./Loudoun) reached on a fielders choice, Matthew Stout (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) singled to second base and Cristian Reyna (Fredericksburg, Va./Stafford) walked to load the bases. Kershow drew a five-pitch walk to let Sommer cross home for a 1-0 lead.
- David Martinez tripled into left center field and Joshua Ammons was hit by a pitch to lead of the third inning for the Falcons. Dustin Isanogle executed a drag bunt between first and second base to knock in Martinez. Evan Wagaman drove in Ammons later in the inning on a sacrifice fly to left field to give Messiah its first lead of the game 2-1.
- The Falcons added an insurance run in the fifth inning. Isanogle reached on an error by Alexander, stole second and came home on a throwing error by Kershow at third base for a 3-1 lead.
Messiah 5, Hood 1
- In game two,Hood once again jumped out to a first-inning lead. Rhue walked and both Sommer and Reyna reached on fielding errors by Martinez at second base to load the bases. Rhue scored on a sacrifice fly by Kershow in left field to take a 1-0 lead.
- Zercher led of the fourth inning with a home run over the right center field fence to tie the game. Messiah didnt stop scoring on the homer, as Wagaman walked and Isaiah Parido singled through the right side to put more runners on base. Wagaman was knocked in on a Ryan Friend sacrifice fly to center field to give the Falcons their first lead of the game 2-1. Parido scored later in the inning on a Josh Jacob sacrifice fly to right field to add another run for Messiah for a 3-1 lead.
- In the fifth, Gordon reached with a bunt single and later was knocked in on a Isanogle sacrifice fly out to left field.
- Messiah added its fifth run of the game in the sixth inning. Parido tripled down the right field line and later scored on a Jacob single up the middle for a 5-1 lead.
For the Opponent
- Zercher hit a home run as one of his two hits in the doubleheader.
- Parido recorded three hits with a triple and a stolen base.
- Isanogle had two hits, two RBIs and a stolen base for the Falcons.
- Jacob ended the day with two RBIs.
- Nathan Stein started game one for Messiah and took home the win. He allowed one run on three hits to go along with six strikeouts and five walks in 6.1 innings.
- Noah Barrall threw to the final two batters of the first game to get the save.
- Josh Monturo tossed a complete game in the second game of the doubleheader. He let in one run on three hits, with three strikeouts and two walks.
Up Next
The contest wraps up the 2023 season for Hood
