READING, Pa. – The Albright Lions baseball team concluded its home slate in the 2018 regular season with a 23-1 loss to Messiah in MAC Commonwealth play on Sunday afternoon as the team held its senior day at Kelchner Field.
 
With the loss, the Lions fall to 11-21 overall and finishes with a 5-16 record in MAC Commonwealth play. Meanwhile, the Falcons improve to 15-19 overall and finish with a 10-11 record in conference play.
 
Both teams stranded runners on second base in the first inning before the Falcons scored four runs in the top of the second on three hits and two errors. Two of the runs in the inning came on bunt singles. Messiah then added to its lead in the top of the third by scoring eight runs on seven hits, while sending 12 batters to the plate. The Lions held the Falcons off the board in the fourth inning before Messiah tallied seven more runs on five hits and two errors to take a 19-0 lead in the fifth inning. Six of the Falcons runs in that inning came two with outs. Albright strung a pair of singles together in the bottom of the sixth with two outs that came from junior Jeff Yordy and Noah Beebe before a strikeout ended the inning. The Lions then loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the eighth on a single from senior Tyler Keller and a pair of walks. Unfortunately for Albright, three straight outs were recorded that led to zero runs crossing the plate. Messiah finished its scoring in the top of the ninth with four runs that all came with two outs before the Lions got their lone run of the game with two outs in the bottom of the ninth off a RBI single from Keller.
 
Keller and Yordy each tallied two hits in the contest, while sophomore Logan Pennypacker drew a pair of walks. Sophomore starting pitcher Nick Dinnocenti was saddled with the loss after allowing 10 runs (four earned) on eight hits in 2.1 innings. Sophomore Matt Fisher relieved his classmate and allowed nine runs (one earned) on nine hits in 2.1 innings of work with one strikeout. Junior Phil Staehle tossed 2.1 innings of shutout relief on just one hit and one strikeout, and seniors Drew Lewis and Zach Krause each made scoreless relief appearances in their final career game at Kelchner Field. Messiah starter Jordan Nichols earned the win after allowing just five hits in 7.2 scoreless innings, while striking out 13 batters.
 
The Lions will conclude their regular season tomorrow, April 30^th when they will face Kutztown in their annual game at First Energy Stadium with first pitch slated for 6:30 p.m.