Grantham, Pa. (Mar. 25, 2017) - #17/19 Alvernia University (12-2, 3-1) split a double header at Messiah College (6-7, 2-4) Saturday afternoon in MAC Commonwealth baseball action.

The Falcons earned a 4-2 win in the opener then Alvernia sophomore Thomas Malik threw six strong innings and Zack Landy nailed down the save in a 1-0 Alvernia win in game two.

Alvernia took a 1-0 lead in the second inning of the opener when Connor Boyle doubled in Dillon Dunne.  Messiah opened the bottom of the fourth with a game-tying homer then pushed ahead 3-1 with three more base hits.

Both teams scored single runs in the sixth for the 4-2 final.

John Catchmark threw six innings for the Crusaders giving up four runs on five hits with eight strikeouts.  Dunne had the only multi-hit game for the Crusaders going 2-for-2 with a walk and a run scored.

Alvernia scored the only run of game two in the second inning.  Catchmark, the designated hitter in game two, singled through the left side to score Cameron Coons who led off the inning with a single.

Malik kept the Falcons off the board escaping threats in both the fifth and sixth innings.  The Falcons leadoff batter in the fifth reached on a single and took second on a fielding error.  He moved up to third base with no one out on a passed ball, and was still there after a strikeout.  The next batter hit a sharp grounder to third that Dunne gloved and was able to tag the runner for the second out.  Malik close the frame on a line out to short.

In the sixth, Malik walked the leadoff and the Falcons moved the runner up to second with a sacrifice.  A pop out and a single put runners at the corners with two outs and Malik once again shut down the threat, this time with a fly ball to center.

Landy took the ball from Malik for the seventh.  He allowed a one-out single then a ground out moved the potential tying run to second, but the sophomore righty closed the door with a fly ball to left.

Mike Cirilli had the only two-hit game for the Crusaders going 2-for-3 in the two-hole.

Alvernia returns home for a make up doubleheader with Hood College on Sunday starting at noon.

Messiah 4, Alvernia 2 (Game One)
Alvernia 1, Messiah 0 (Game Two)