Box Score

Center fielder Sam Tajiri went 3-for-6 with a home run and three RBIs and the Albright College baseball team's sloppy play in the field wasted away a solid pitching performance from senior Matt Rehrig as Messiah beat the Lions 16-5 Friday.

After Rehrig struck out Tajiri in both of his first two at-bats, Tajiri's single in the top of the fifth sparked the beginning of a six-run inning. The key to the inning was four Albright errors that opened the floodgates and gave the Falcons a lead they would not surrender.

Albright's offense attempted to return the favor in the bottom half of the inning. After Nate Peiffer led off the bottom of the fifth with an infield single, Jon Raymond (2-for-4) circled the bases on a behemoth home run to center field.

Still trailing 8-2, Albright added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth, including when Messiah catcher Alex Brown's throw back to the mound sailed into center field, allowing shortstop Alex Myers to score.

Messiah put the game away for good in the seventh with four more runs including Tajiri's round tripper.

Rehrig's pitching performance was much better than his final line would indicate. He allowed eight runs (two earned) on eight hits, walking one and striking out three batters over 4 ? innings. The loss evened his record to 3-3.

Freshman Max Dundore pitched the ninth inning and was the only Lion pitcher to not allow a run. The Albright center fielder celebrated his scoreless inning on the rubber by leading off the bottom of the ninth with a no-doubter home run that would be Albright's final run.

Messiah hurler Wes Hollenbach notched his second win of the season in relief of Tory Arnesen. Hollenbach pitched five innings and allowed five hits, four runs (three earned), walked two and struck out two batters. He also hit two Albright batters.

In the loss, Peiffer finished 3-for-5 with a triple and one run scored. Senior Tom Canuso finished 1-for-2 with a double and walked three times.