EMU's baseball men suffered a 7-2 loss at Messiah College Wednesday afternoon in Grantham, Pa.  While the non-conference decision evens the Royals at 15-15 on the year, it doesn't affect their ODAC positioning.

Eastern Mennonite is 9-9 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, tied with Lynchburg at 8-8 for sixth in the league standings.  The two teams are just behind Roanoke College at 9-8.  The Hornets host the Maroons in a single game Thursday afternoon.

EMU heads to second-place Virginia Wesleyan on Saturday for a season-ending doubleheader.  There are numerous potential scenarios for which teams would make the six-team ODAC Tournament, but at least one win against the Marlins would give the Royals a big boost.

The Royals own the head-to-head tie-breaker over Roanoke based on a sweep of the season series, but the men split with Lynchburg.

In the game against Messiah, Eastern Mennonite couldn't capitalize on seven walks, as they left 14 men on base overall and at least one in eight of the nine innings.

The Falcons scored a single run in the second to take the lead, and then tacked on three unearned runs with two outs in the fourth.  A walk followed by a double in the fifth gave Messiah a 5-0 lead.

MC added two more in the seventh before the Royals finally got on the board.  The men loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, and Brandon Carroll (Fredericksburg, Va./Stafford) beat out a potential double play ball to allow the first run to score.  But a fly ball left two men on base.

EMU loaded the bases again in the ninth, starting the frame with a walk, infield single and walk.  Justin Rodriguez (Miramar, Fla./Monsignor Edward Pace) drew a one-out walk to bring in a run, but a strikeout and grounder to first ended the game with a 7-2 final.

Griffin Stanley (Roanoke, Va./Cave Spring) did his job as the leadoff man, batting 2-3 with two walks.  He scored once.  Ryan Hedrick (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) was 1-4 with a walk and run scored.  Kyle Salladay (Chesapeake, Va./Grassfield) had a pair of doubles while Joe Hall (Gladys, Va./Rustburg) reached three times with a single, walk and hit by pitch.

David Meehan (Virginia Beach, Va./Salem) got his first career start on the mound and picked up the loss in 3.2 innings of work.  Only one of his three runs were earned.  Hall finished up a five-pitcher day by throwing a 1-2-3 eighth.