Game 1 Boxscore

Game 2 Boxscore

(Carlisle, Pa.) – The Dickinson College baseball team overcame a slow start to overtake visiting Messiah, 6-4, in game one of Saturday's double-header at MacPhail Field. The Devils pushed across a run in the bottom of the sixth for a 3-2 win in the nightcap as they improve to 5-1 on the season.

The Falcons capitalized on a triple and a double in the first inning to take an early 3-0 lead. Starting pitcher Evan Fitzpatrick (Ithaca, N.Y./Ithaca) settled in to retire 13 of the next 14 batters he faced. The Devils came alive with a big rally in the fifth inning, scoring five runs to pull in front, 5-3.

Matt Tuneski (Waterford, Conn./Waterford) and Bart Marchant (Lakeville, Conn./Hotchkiss) led off the fifth inning with back-to-back base hits. The Devils attempted to sacrifice the runners but a strong play from Messiah catcher Ryan Brown allowed the Falcons to get Marchant out at third on the play.

Senior Mike Schuster (Malvern, Pa./Great Valley) put the Devils in the board with an RBI single to right field. Sophomore second baseman James Santoro (Freehold, N.J./St. Rose) went to left field with an RBI single to continue the Red Devil rally.

Senior captain Tyler Rosa' (Carmel, Calif./Stevenson School) then came to the plate to launch a three-run shot over the right field wall to put the Devils on top, 5-3.

Messiah answered with a run in the top of the sixth, capitalizing on three straight hits with two outs on the board. Marchant singled again in the sixth inning and moved to third on a double to right from sophomore Andrew Sterling (Houston, Texas/Episcopal). Marchant came in on a sacrifice fly from Schuster to give Dickinson a two-run cushion at 6-4.

Junior Garrett Horan (Providence, R.I./Moses Brown) came out from behind the plate to close the door in relief. Horan retired three straight Falcons to earn the save in game one.

Schuster went 2-for-3 in game one, scoring once and driving in two more. Marchant went 2-for-3 with two runs scored while Tuneski finished with a pair of hits.

Fitzpatrick earned the win, going five and two-thirds innings. He scattered eight hits and struck out six on the day.

Game two saw the Red Devils strike early as they pushed across a run in the bottom of the first inning. Santoro reached on an error and moved to third on a double from Horan. Rosa' hit a deep fly to center to sacrifice Santoro to the plate for a 1-0 advantage.

Sterling put the Devils up 2-0 with the Devils' second homerun of the day, leading off the third inning with a solo shot. Messiah cut the lead in half in the top of the fourth. Jordan Snader led off with a single and moved to second on a well executed sacrifice bunt. Tyler DeShong singled in Snader to make the score 2-1.

Messiah pulled even in the top of the sixth. A questionable play led to a Dickinson error, putting Paul Mellinger on second to start the inning. Mellinger moved to third on a ball to the right side and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Jacob Sprengle.

The Devils answered in the bottom of the inning. Horan reached on a single and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Tuneski to put the Devils in front, 3-2. Starting pitcher Sean White (Summit, N.J./Salisbury School) finished things off, retiring the final three Messiah batters for a complete game victory in the nightcap.

Sterling went 2-for-2 in game two while Horan finished 2-for-3 with all four Devil hits in the game. White allowed just two hits while recording five strikeouts on the day.

The Red Devils improve to 5-1 on the season. They will face Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in a twin-bill to begin their spring break schedule.