The 2011 MACC Championship is Messiah's second in four years. Messiah sports information

Technically, Messiah could have lost its initial Commonwealth Conference Championship game against Elizabethtown College and still captured the title by winning a re-match in the double-elimination tournament.

With the way the Falcons swung the bat in the first game, however, there was no need for a second chance.

Messiah (25-17) scored three runs in the fourth inning, three more in the fifth and three more in the eighth, taking the league title by virtue of a 11-5 win over the rival Blue Jays. It marked the fourth Commonwealth Championship in the program’s history, as Messiah won it all in 2008, 2005, 2003 and now in 2011 — with every single title coming against E’Town.

In this year’s double-elimination tournament, Messiah won all three games it played, staying in the winner’s bracket and giving itself two opportunities — if needed — to bring home the trophy. After taking two out of three against Elizabethtown (19-19) in the regular-season, the Falcons beat the Blue Jays both times the two teams met this weekend, giving Messiah four wins in five games against their rivals.

For the seniors on this year’s squad, they were a part of the ’08 championship team as freshmen and major contributors on this year’s championship team as seniors. Messiah head coach Steve DeRiggs, an assistant coach with the ’08 team, guided the Falcons to their title this season in his first year as the program’s leader.

Messiah's six seniors took an extra moment with the 2011 Commonwealth Conference Championship plaque. Messiah sports information

“We’re very pleased with the results of today,” said DeRiggs, the Commonwealth Coach of the Year. “We’ve very pleased the players bought into the system. It worked and I think the team really came together after the Florida (spring break) trip. Their work habits have improved immensely, they’ve gained confidence, and this game is about execution and confidence. We are overjoyed for the program, from the players to the team to the tremendous parental support we received.”

Given that the Falcons beat E’Town 4-3 in Friday’s 3:00 p.m. game, the Jays had the misfortune of having to play nationally-ranked Alvernia in Friday evening’s elimination game. Elizabethtown won that one, holding on for a narrow 6-5 win, staying alive in the tourney and knocking out the Crusaders. That set up Saturday’s Messiah-E’Town match-up, with the Blue Jays needing to win both games to win the championship and the Falcons only needing one.

“It’s a natural rivalry,” DeRiggs said. “The players focused pretty well. There’s a fine line between tightness and playing well, and Elizabethtown brings out the best in our guys. It’s a solid rivalry, we play with emotion, and there’s room for emotion. The young men got up for it, and they beat a fine team in (Elizabethtown).”

It certainly wasn’t Messiah’s prettiest performance of the year Saturday, but as the old adage goes, ‘a win is a win.’

The Falcons’ pitchers issued seven free passes and a hit by pitch, but fortunately, Messiah’s offense did its part, pounding out 13 hits — seven by extra-base nature — en route to 11 runs. Defensively, Messiah made two errors but twice escaped bases-loaded jams, holding the Blue Jays to a .182 (4-22) average on the day with men on base.

Junior Ryan Brown wasted no time getting Messiah on the board in the first inning, smashing an RBI triple to right center field that scored junior John Brubaker, putting the Falcons up 1-0.

The Blue Jays tacked on a run the small way in the third inning, as a walk, ground out, single and steal tied the game at one run apiece against Falcons’ senior Eric Spring.

Brown drove in another run for Messiah in the fourth, scoring Brubaker again, this time on a ground ball to shortstop. Messiah went up 2-1 and never lost the lead for the remainder of the game.

Spring worked his way out of a jam in the fourth inning, getting a key strikeout with the bases loaded and two outs retired to maintain a one-run lead for the Falcons.

The offense gave Spring some breathing room in the fifth, highlighted by sophomore Matt Turman’s two-run triple to deep left field and junior Sam Tajiri’s bunt single that scored Turman.

The 5-1 lead was more than enough for Spring (3-2) on the mound. The left-hander allowed a run in the fifth, but finished the day with five innings pitched, allowing just two runs on four hits. He did walk four batters, but struck out three and most importantly, earned the win for the day.

“Our starting pitching has been the strength of the team so far this post-season,” DeRiggs said. “The starting pitching has been just exceptional all season and Spring has as good of stuff as anyone on the team when he’s on. He got the win today, and he’s just going to have to be more consistent and repeat some more of his positive mechanics.”

From there, the team turned the game over to the bullpen, but not before three more Messiah runs in the sixth gave the Falcons an insurmountable 8-2 lead.

Brown beat out an infield single and advanced to second on an error by the shortstop. Following a ground out that put Brown at third base, Messiah let loose with three extra-base hits: Sophomore Drew Frankenfield hit a ground-rule double to left center field, senior Jamie Scott ripped a triple to right field and Turman added his second triple in as many innings, drilling a two-out hit to right center field that put the Falcons up, 8-2.

Junior Davin Okerblom pitched an inning of relief in the sixth, allowing one run, and senior Josh Hershberger and junior Zach Adams teamed up to pitch the seventh and eighth innings. A nifty double play helped Adams out in the eighth when junior Tory Arnesen caught a line drive at third base and doubled off the runner at second base, ending the inning and a possible Blue Jays’ rally.

Messiah finished off the scoring for the day in the home half of the eighth, scoring three runs on a pair of hits, three walks, a wild pitch and an error.

Turman added his fourth hit of the day in that frame, and the sophomore — making his first start after an injury kept him out for most of the season — finished the game an incredible 4-4 with a single, a double and two triples, adding two runs and three RBI to his extraordinary performance.

“I didn’t think about using Turman as the DH until 4:25 in the morning when I woke up and thought about it,” DeRiggs said. “I felt he was the best choice and I knew he would play hard. I hoped he would play well, and I hoped he would channel it into a game he would be proud of. It was a tremendous effort by him. You have cerebral decisions and gut decisions, and whatever you make, you have to live with it. I’m glad this worked out.”

Freshman Jon Lapp came into the game in the ninth inning with an 11-5 lead and promptly retired all three hitters, the final one on a strikeout swinging that secured the fourth league title for Messiah in the last nine years.

“We have a supreme amount of confidence in Jon Lapp,” DeRiggs said. “He was picked as the conference Rookie of the Year as an all-around player and he was voted Rookie of the Year by his fellow coaches around the league for good reason. He has improved with the bat this season, he has excellent field presence and we have supreme confidence in him. He has a very bright future with this team.”

Lapp’s strikeout led to a wild celebration for Messiah and a pile-up in the middle of the field, after which the seniors and award winners for Messiah were honored with a brief on-field ceremony.

Brubaker, a First-Team All-Commonwealth Conference selection this year, was named the tournament’s MVP, as he batted .545 at the plate (6-11) with five runs scored and two RBI. The junior shortstop also handled 14 chances in the field without an error.

“(Brubaker) was tremendous,” DeRiggs said. “He certainly validated his all-conference selection by the other coaches. He plays an extremely tough defensive position, and he handled a lot of chances in the field this tournament. He did a tremendous job, he’s been an impact player, and he deserved it. I’m very proud of him.”

Brubaker was one of four Falcons to have multiple hits in the final game. Turman had four, Scott added two (plus two runs scored and two RBI) and Brown had two to go with two runs batted in. Most importantly for the Falcons, the bottom of the order was extremely productive, as the sixth through ninth hitters combined to bat .467 (7-15) with four of the team’s seven extra-base knocks.

“It’s very important for us that our offense, particularly the bottom of the order, produces,” DeRiggs said. “You can’t have automatic outs, and it’s very important that the bottom part do their job. When they’re productive, it’s so much harder for opposing teams, and when the production is good, it helps to turn the lineup over.”

From here, the Falcons will advance to the NCAA Tournament, although the Falcons’ opponents and location for the next round of playoff action have yet to be determined. The first game of the regional tournament will be played on Wednesday, May 18. The NCAA Tournament field will be released on NCAA.com Monday, May 16.