Lancaster, Pa. (May 12, 2024) - #2 Alvernia University defeated #1 Messiah University, 7-2, behind a 118 pitch shutdown performance from Jason Kelly on the mound as the Golden Wolves claimed their fourth MAC Commonwealth title on Sunday evening at Clipper Magazine Stadium. 

Alvernia led the best of three series 1-0 going into Sunday following an extra innings win on Saturday at Messiah. But, Alvernia gave up an early lead to the Falcons in game two of the series on Sunday afternoon, and Messiah evened the series at 1-1. 

The Golden Wolves led 2-0 through its half of the fourth in game three before Messiah tied it at 2-2. Alvernia then scored five unanswered runs - including three runs on a Matt Edwards homer that cleared the 410 foot fence in center field.

Alvernia was led in the championship game by Jason Kelly on the mound. His complete game performance earned him MVP honors. He allowed just four hits over his nine innings of work and struck out three batters. It was the first time in Kelly's career that he went the distance, and was Alvernia's first pitcher since Sean Esch in 2018 to throw a 9-inning complete game. 

The MAC Commonwealth Championship marked Alvernia's fourth conference championship since joining the MAC Commonwealth in 2010. Alvernia won the championship in 2013, 2015, 2019 as a member of the MAC Commonwealth. Alvernia also won the MAC Freedome Championship in 2009, its first season as a MAC school.

Alvernia receives the MAC Commonwealth automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament. Alvernia will find out its regional location and opponents on Monday afternoon.

Sunday Game 1 (Game 2 Overall)
Score: Messiah 10, Alvernia 5
Records: Alvernia (27-16), Messiah (35-10) 
Hits: Alvernia (9), Messiah (16)
Errors: Alvernia (0), Messiah(2)
WP: Nathan Stein (10-1) LP: Timmy Hitchcock (4-1) 

How it Happened

• Alvernia jumped out the Falcons early. Bobby Hansen drove in the first run of the game with a single up the middle to score Matt Edwards in the top of the second to give Alvernia the 1-0 lead.
• The Golden Wolves tacked on three more runs in the top of the third to take the 4-0 lead. Evan Thomas led off the inning with a triple and scored on a wild pitch on the next at bat. Jason Kelly then drove in Quincy Esannason on a sacrifice fly, and Edwards drove in Mike Ramundo on a sacrifice fly of his own to make it a 4-0 game. 
• After a brief rain delay between the top and bottom of the third, the Falcons came out with fresh life. In the first at-bat after the delay, Messiah's Drew Hurst hit a solo shot over the left field wall. Later in the inning, Messiah's Jarret Gordon got in on the long ball game and hit a two-run shot to make it a 4-3 game. 
• Messiah then tied it up in their half of the fourth on an RBI single to make it a 4-4 game.
• Alvernia retook the lead in the top of the fifth on an RBI double by Kelly to bring in Ramundo and make it a 5-4 game. However, Messiah responded in a big way in its half of the fifth, plating five runs on five hits to break it open into a 9-5 game in favor of the Falcons. 
• The Falcons plated another run in the eighth to take a 10-5 lead. Messiah held Alvernia to just two hits over the final four innings as the Falcons took game two of the series, 10-5, and evened the series at 1-1.

Alvernia Offensive Leaders
Mike Ramundo: 4-for-5, 2 runs
Jason Kelly: 1-for-3, 2 RBI

Alvernia Defensive Leaders
Matt Edwards: 7 putouts, 2 assists, 0 errors
Ben Houghton: 3 putouts, 3 assists, 0 errors

Alvernia Pitching
Nick Ferraioli: 3.2 IP, 8 Hits, 4 Earned Runs, 6 Walks, 2 Strikeouts, 24 batters faced
Timmy Hitchcock (L): 0.1 IP, 2 Hits, 3 Earned Runs, 1 Walk, 0 Strikeouts, 5 batters faced
Connor Friedel: 0.1 IP, 3 Hits, 2 Earned Runs, 1 Walk, 0 Strikeouts, 5 batters faced
Grant Fitzgerald: 3.2 IP, 3 Hits, 1 Earned Run, 0 Walks, 1 Strikeout, 13 batters faced

Sunday Game 2 (Game 3 Overall)
Score: Alvernia 7, Messiah 2
Records: Alvernia (28-16), Messiah (35-11) 
Hits: Alvernia (14), Messiah (4)
Errors: Alvernia (0), Messiah (0)
WP: Jason Kelly (3-0) LP: Christian Foltz (2-1) 

How it Happened 

• Both Messiah and Alvernia went scoreless in the first two innings before the Golden Wolves struck first in the third when Mike Ramundo was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Jason Lind and give Alvernia a 1-0 lead. 
• Alvernia doubled its lead in the fourth thanks to a Lind RBI single up the middle that scored Houghton and made it a 2-0 ballgame. 
• Messiah grabbed one back in the bottom half of the fourth thanks to an RBI groundout to make it 2-1. 
• The Falcons leveled things up in the home half of the sixth after a RBI single up the middle plated a run and made it 2-2 through six innings of play. 
• Matt Edwards proved to be the difference in the top of the seventh when he blasted a towering three run homer to deep left center to give the Golden Wolves the 5-2 lead. 
• Alvernia tacked on two more insurance runs in the top of the ninth thanks to an RBI double by Bobby Hansen and then Lind followed him with his fourth hit of the game and singled up the middle to drive in Hansen to push the lead to five, 7-2. 
• Senior Jason Kelly started on the hill for the Golden Wolves in the winner take all game three and tossed a nine inning, complete game. Kelly scattered just four hits and two runs in his nine innings of work and retired Messiah 1,2,3 in the Falcon's final three at bats en route to the title. Kelly was then awarded MVP of the Championships after his game three performance. 

Alvernia Offensive Leaders
Jason Lind: 4-for-5, 2 RBIs, 1 Run Scored (2 RBI, RS) 
Ben Houghton: 3-for-5, 2 runs scored
Matt Edwards: 1-for-5, 3 RBIs, 1 HR, 1 Run
Mike Ramundo: 1-for-4, 1 RBIs, 1 3B

Alvernia Defensive Leaders 

Matt Edwards: 15 putouts, 2 assists, 0 errors
Jason Lind: 4 Putouts, 0 errors
Jake Chapman: 4 putouts, 0 errors
Bobby Hansen: 1 putout, 5 assists 0 errors

Alvernia Pitching 
Jason Kelly (W, 3-0) - 9 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K