BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2 Grantham, Pa. (Apr. 6, 2019) - Alvernia University (16-9-1, 8-3) split with Messiah College (9-15, 2-10) on Saturday in MAC Commonwealth baseball action on Saturday at Messiah.

Alvernia took game one 14-2, but fell in game two, 9-5.

In game one of the afternoon, Messiah scored an unearned run in the bottom of the first, but Alvernia came back and took the lead for good with four runs in the top of the third. Mike Cirilli and Nathan Sides both drove in runs and Colin Rieger delivered a two-out, two-run single to put Alvernia up 4-1.

Alvernia added a run in the fourth, two more in the fifth, and put up seven in the seventh.

Sides, Rieger, Grant Hackett, and Joe Ginder had two hits each. Hackett and Ginder had three RBIs each.

Zack Landy went six innings for Alvernia in the win. He struck out six and allowed four hits.

In game two of the afternoon, the Falcons jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first.

The Golden Wolves got one back on a sacrifice fly in the top of the second by Kyler Newton, but the Falcons added three in their half of the second to go up 7-1.

Messiah added a run in the bottom of the fourth and again in the bottom of the fifth while holding Alvernia hitless until the sixth.

The Golden Wolves cut it down to a seven run lead in the top of the sixth with a Salesky sacrifice fly to score Cirilli.

Alvernia added three in the top of the seventh, with an RBI single by the Logan Levan and a two run double by Sides, but it would be too little too late as Alvernia
fell 9-5.

Nicholas Marotta went two innings in the loss, giving up six earned runs and striking out three,

Sides went 2-for-4 with two RBIs to lead the offense.

Alvernia and Messiah close out the MAC Commonwealth series on Sunday at 2:30 PM at Alvernia's Angelica Park.