STEVENSON, Md. – The Stevenson baseball team fell to Messiah in MAC Commonwealth action by a score of 5-3 Friday afternoon at Sugar Field on Senior Day. With the loss, the chance for the Mustangs to make the MAC Commonwealth Championships will require at least one win in the season finale.

Tommy Holcomb and Billy McAdam each had multi-hit performances at the plate while Trent Smoot notched a double for the Mustangs, the only extra-base hit of the ballgame for the home team. Holcomb, Amani Jones, and Dylan Scott all tallied RBIs. Stevenson starter Matt Reich pitched a strong 6.1 innings with one earned run and eight strikeouts.

Stevenson earned three straight walks to start the bottom of the first before Tommy Holcomb sent a single over the second baseman's head to plate Jonathan Brandt for the game's first run. Amani Jones picked up an RBI on a sacrifice fly to left field scoring Billy McAdam. The Mustangs picked up a third run when Dylan Scott ripped a groundball to shortstop but a throwing error from the second baseman during an attempted double play allowed Trevor Smoot to cross the plate. 

Meanwhile on the mound, Stevenson starter Matt Reich retired the first nine batters he faced, picking up five strikeouts along the way. Messiah earned their first runner of the afternoon with a walk in the bottom top of the fourth. The falcons converted their first run with a single to center to score Reed Wagner from second. Messiah threatened to add more runs with runners on second and third with no outs but a heads-up play from Trent Smoot retired the runner from third who strayed too far from the base. Reich regained composure, picking up a strikeout then forcing a groundout to shortstop to end the inning. 

Stevenson continued a strong defensive performance with Dylan Scott diving for a fading line drive in center field to retire the Messiah leadoff hitter in the top of the fifth. After Reich tallied another strikeout and a double down the third base line from Evan Wagaman Trent Smoot made another great play on an attempted bunt which was popped foul to end the inning. 

Dustin Isanogle singled up the middle to lead-off the sixth for the Falcons, reaching third on a failed pickoff followed by a passed ball. Isanogle crossed the plate on a Kasey Caras singled through the right side of the infield to narrow the score to 3-2. Matt Reich pitched out of a bases loaded jam to squash the Falcon threat to overtake the led with a strikeout and groundout to shortstop.

In the seventh, the Messiah leadoff hitter reached on an error and advanced to second on sacrifice bunt. Reed Wagner singled to through the right side, scoring Wagaman from second to knot the game at 3 runs a-piece. Patrick O'Farrell entered in relief and forced a fly out to right before a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for Messiah. O'Farrell forced a fly ball to right-center which Dylan Scott ran down to end the inning in a 3-3 tie. 

Messiah utilized Stevenson errors and a walk to load the bases with nobody out in the top of the eighth. A two-RBI single from Reed Wagner gave Messiah a 5-3 advantage while a throwing error moved Falcon baserunners to second and third. O'Farrell forced two fly outs to right field to end the inning and keep Stevenson within shouting distance of the Falcon lead.

First year Matt Kossey pitched a one-two-three inning in the ninth to keep the Mustangs within reach of the lead. Dylan Scott led off the bottom of the ninth with a line drive single to left field, followed by a hit-by-pitch from Brandon Perillo. Attempting to bunt the runners into scoring position, Alex Russo reached on an error by the first baseman to load the bases. However, a double play and pop out ended the game. 

News and Notes

• Following the game, Stevenson celebrated 11 seniors playing in their final home contest.
• Matt Reich tallied eight strikeouts, the sixth start he has totaled seven or more punchouts.
• Amani Jones notched one RBI to bring his season tally to a team-leading 25.
• Billy McAdam went 2-3 at the plate with a walk to improve his team-leading batting average to .449.
• The Mustangs are involved in a three-team tie for second in the MAC Commonwealth standings.

What's Next

• Stevenson wraps up the 2022 regular season with a MAC Commonwealth doubleheader at conference leader Lebanon Valley.