Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
Chester, PA — The Messiah College softball team failed to upset MAC Commonwealth co-leader Widener University Saturday, dropping 4-7 and 0-4 decisions in cementing the squad's placing for the upcoming league tournament. Messiah (21-19, 4-6) will face top-seeded Lebanon Valley College at 11 a.m. Friday at LVC, host for all MAC Commonwealth Tournament action.
Saturday's losses to Widener (30-10, 9-1) locked the Falcons into the number four seed for the post-season event, while a pair of wins would have moved Messiah into the three seed position. That scenario would have led to a rematch with Widener at the start of the league tournament, however, making Saturday's consequence one of pure preference: Messiah dropped a pair ofdefeats at Lebanon Valley (24-9, 9-1) on Apr. 12 in 0-4 and 0-3 scores, while LVC and Widener's only conference losses of the season came to one another.
"It was two tough losses for us today," said Amy Weaver, Messiah head coach. "We know the challenge that lies ahead for us in the conference tournament, and we'll do our best to prepare."
Weaver's club saw its best chance to garner a Saturday win dissipate in the day's first contest, as the team rebounded from an early 2-0 deficit to tie the game in the fourth inning. Sophomore Megan Rice (2-4) got her first pitching start in over five weeks in the opener, as the ace has been dealing with back issues for the entire season.
Rice gave up single scores in both the first and second innings to Widener, but was bolstered by identical postings in the visiting halves of the third and fourth innings. Senior Lana Trotter got things started with a lead-off home run in the third, while sophomore Abby Bergakker did the same in the fourth.
As Rice struck out the Pride's first batter in the bottom of the fourth inning, things appeared to be in good shape. Widener responded with a single and a double, however, while a ground out produced an RBI in taking a 3-2 lead.
Widener's next batter reached via error, while a follow-up single brought another two home. Junior Jenna Batchelor then came on in relief of Rice, but the damage had been done: Widener scored four runs off of three hits and an error, turning a 2-2 contest into a 6-2 lead.
That difference ballooned to 7-2 following a pair of singles and a walk in the fifth inning. Messiah came up with another two runs in an attempted rally in the top of the seventh — a two-out double from sophomore Nicole Adams brought both runs home — but Widener was able to get out of the inning by forcing junior Amy Bowie to ground out.
Trotter and Bergakker led the way going 2-3 and blasting their sixth dingers of the year, respectively, while Adams finished 2-4 with two RBI. Rice collected the pitching loss, going three and two third innings while striking out three. Only three of Widener's six runs scored were earned against Rice.
"It was good to get Megan back on the field, and she pitched fairly well," Weaver said. "We just could not hold off Widener. We had a fighting attitude, but we only could bring in a couple more. Just not enough against a good team."
Stellar defensive play marked the majority of the day's second contest, as the teams recorded six hits apiece en route to a scoreless result through three and a half innings of work. Widener eventually broke through in the bottom of the fourth, however, scoring three runs off of half their total hits. The Pride scored another in the fifth, following a lead-off single and a pair of wild pitches from freshman Jessica Climenhaga (8-6) who went the distance in the pitching circle.
Messiah left six on base in the game, generating just one multiple-hit inning — Bergakker singled and sophomore Tori Hatt doubled in the second. Trotter joined Hatt with a double in the third, while Bergakker was a perfect 3-3 from the plate.
"It turns out that game one was our chance today," Weaver said. "We never got our bats going in the second game, and you can't win with zero on your side of the scoreboard."
The Falcons will next enter the double-elimination MAC Commonwealth Tournament, as the squad's match-up with Lebanon Valley on Friday will begin competition. Pending the outcome of that game, Messiah will then play at 3 p.m. Friday (via win) or 9 a.m. Saturday (via loss). A website detailing the league tournament is available here.
