GRANTHAM, Pa. – Messiah College took advantage of five Gettysburg College errors to pick up a 9-0 decision in non-conference baseball action Thursday afternoon.
 
Gettysburg (0-3) managed just three hits against six Messiah (3-2) pitchers. Freshman Matt Szczesny (Schwenksville, Pa./Periomen Valley) reached base twice via a hit-by-pitch in the third and a single in the sixth. After swiping second base in the third, he was left stranded following a pair of strikeouts.
 
Sophomores Ryan LaCoe (Hershey, Pa./Hershey) and Banks Northington (Charlottesville, Va./Charlottesville) tallied the team's remaining hits. LaCoe stroked a one-out single to left in the seventh and Northington knocked a pinch-hit double in the ninth.
 
Three Gettysburg errors helped Messiah bring across a pair of unearned runs in the third inning. The Falcons padded the lead with runs in their final three at bats, beginning with a four-spot in the sixth inning.
 
Junior Will Wortmann (Bedford, N.Y./Fox Lane) took the loss after giving up six runs (two earned) in 5.1 innings of work. Sophomore John Braun (Ambler, Pa./La Salle College) pitched a scoreless seventh in relief.
 
Gettysburg heads to Fort Pierce, Fla., for a 10-game trip next week. The Bullets open with a doubleheader against Albright College on Sunday at noon.