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Annville, PA — A never-quit, second-day rally came to a disheartening close for the Messiah College softball team Saturday, as the Falcons dropped a 1-0, 10-inning defeat to Elizabethtown College in the MAC Commonwealth Playoffs. It was the team's second loss of the double-elimination tournament — Messiah fell to host Lebanon Valley College by a 9-0 score Friday afternoon — coming immediately after a 6-2 win over Widener University, a team that entered the post-season sharing the top regular-season league record (9-1) with LVC.
The surge of momentum from that victory nearly carried over into the Falcons' tilt with E'Town, but the Blue Jays were able to make use of a timely hit in the bottom of the 10th — one of just five hits on the day — to push across the game's only run, ending Messiah's season in the process.
"It was a very, very tough way to lose, and an even tougher way to end a season," said Amy Weaver, Messiah head coach. "We fought all day long, and the girls gave it their all. After a big win over Widener, E'Town finally got the hit that both teams needed. I'm proud of our team and the way we fought, but it is tough."
Messiah (22-21) opened the tournament with its only flat performance Friday afternoon, generating just a pair of hits in the 9-2 loss to Lebanon Valley (25-9). Sophomore Megan Rice (2-5) started in the pitching circle for the first time since Mar. 21, missing the majority of the season with a strained back.
Rice went two and two-thirds innings in the loss, giving up seven runs off of just three hits, while only one of LVC's runs was earned. An error and a wild pitch helped the Flying Dutchmen to two unearned scores in the bottom of the first inning, while another error and a home run led to five more runs in the third.
As junior Jenna Batchelor came on in relief of Rice, Messiah could never get its own offense going, coming up with just two hits — sophomore Lindsay Hall singled in the first while classmate Tori Hatt doubled in the fifth — as the entirety of its production.
"Our entire mentality was much better on Saturday than it was on Friday," Weaver said. "We really didn't know what hit us (against LVC)."
That all changed Saturday morning at 9 a.m., as Weaver's club handed Widener (30-12) a sound defeat just a week after the Pride swept the Falcons to conclude the regular season, pushing Messiah to the four seed as a result.
The Falcons utilized a poised attack Saturday, coming back from a 1-0 deficit after the third inning and responding from a 2-2 game in the sixth to claim the win. Freshman Jessica Climenhaga (9-6) went the distance in the circle, striking out nine batters while walking just two.
Widener got on the board first via a single and a Falcons' error, but Weaver's club responded with a double from junior Amy Bowie, a walk to sophomore Abby Bergakker and a single from Hatt, scoring two.
After Widener tied the game in the fifth inning — a single was eventually scored on a passed ball — Messiah came back with a three-run sixth, blasting four singles to take control of the game. Freshman Rebecca Stackhouse came up with the most timely base knock, singling down the left field line with two outs to plate two runners.
Messiah then added an insurance run in the top of the seventh, as a double from Bowie eventually scored on a wild pitch. Climenhaga then took out Widener in order in the bottom of the seventh, keeping Messiah's season alive.
"It was a big win over Widener for a lot of reasons," Weaver said. "We had a fighting attitude from the start of the day, and we strung some hits together. I thought we were equally as ready to win a defensive game, but it just wasn't to be."
Rice again started for Weaver's club against Elizabethtown (13-23), going six and two thirds innings while allowing no runs and just three hits. She struck out nine batters, eventually being pulled in favor of Climenhaga in the seventh inning.
Both teams had opportunities to push runs across, but stellar Messiah defense thwarted more chances for the Blue Jays. Elizabethtown would leave 16 runners on base (the Falcons left just six), with no bigger chance than in the ninth inning: A Messiah error, a walk and two wild pitches landed runners on second and third with two outs, but Climenhaga remained poised. E'Town struck out looking to end the inning.
Sadly, it would be a performance the Falcons could not repeat.
After going down in order in the top of the 10th, Climenhaga walked the Jays' lead-off batter in the bottom of the stanza, while a sacrifice bunt moved the runner to second. A wild pitch pushed the Blue Jays' base runner to third, while a single to left field ended the game with just one out retired.
Bowie led the offensive push for Messiah, going 2-4. Hatt doubled in a 1-3 performance, while Bergakker and Batchelor also singled. Messiah stranded a runner on third base on two occasions, the most notable coming off of Hatt's lead-off double in the third. Messiah pushed Hatt to third base with just one out retired, but failed to bring her across after a strike out and ground out ended the half inning.
Climenhaga (9-7) allowed just two hits in suffering the tough-luck pitching loss, striking out three batters while walking two. She recorded three wild pitches, the Flacons' only errant deliveries save for one from Rice against LVC.
"Megan and Jesse pitched their hearts out," Weaver said. "Our defense played well, making several diving plays to stop E'Town on several occasions. We just couldn't get the big hit to score that key run, and E'Town eventually did. It was a game that you hate to see end, as both teams deserved to keep playing."
Lebanon Valley went on to win the tournament championship, defeating E'Town by a 4-3 score in dramatic fashion, scoring all four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Messiah concludes its season with a 22-21 record, its third straight season with 22 wins or more.
"We fought hard, and that was a good impression to have in our final games," Weaver said. "We'll miss (senior) Lana Trotter terribly, but we have a very talented group returning next year. We are very excited for what we believe will be continual improvement within our program."
