Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
York, PA — For the fifth time in program history, Messiah softball has won 30 games in a season.
The 2009 squad captured that feat Friday afternoon at York College, handing the host Spartans 1-0 and 4-3 losses — Messiah's ninth and 10th straight wins overall.
With those victories, the '09 team joins those from the 1994, 1996, 1998 and 1999 seasons as squads to win 30 or more games in a year. The 1999 team's 39-9 record still stands as the program benchmark for success.
"We set goals at the beginning of the year, and getting 30 wins was one of those goals," said Amy Weaver, Messiah head coach. "It's good to reach something you've strived for, but now we've got to set new goals. We're certainly motivated to do more."
Messiah (30-4) received another strong pitching performance from freshman Jessica Rhoads in the afternoon's first contest, as the dominant right-hander struck out 15 Spartans' batters while allowing just one hit on the contest. The Falcons blasted York starter Brittany Therres for 10 hits, but stranded 10 runners to only push one across.
Weaver's club got that all-important run in the second inning, when three singles eventually pushed junior Abby Bergakker across. Bergakker — who reached base on a one-out single to left field — scored off a two-out single from freshman Abi Buchler.
It would be the game's only run, as Messiah left two on base in all but three innings.
"We played really well today, but we stranded entirely too many runners," Weaver said. "We need to work on getting runners in from second and third, no question. Those are runs we're leaving off the board."
Rhoads (18-1) kept things from getting close, however, registering at least 15 strikeouts for the seventh time of the season in the complete-game win. York (27-14) got its only hit of the game to lead off the bottom of the seventh, but a pair of Rhoads' strikeouts followed a sacrifice bunt to end the game with little drama.
The same could not be said in the nightcap, however, as a seventh-inning York rally nearly derailed a 4-0 Messiah lead going in. Junior Megan Rice (11-1) captured the win in the pitching circle, but not before Rhoads (5) came in to retire the final out, all with the go-ahead run standing on first base.
It was a scenario that appeared unlikely to transpire at any point in the game, as Rice had allowed just two hits to the Spartans in the preceding six innings. Messiah, meanwhile was busy ripping 12 total hits on the game, scoring two runs in the third and singular tallies in the visitors' half of the sixth and seventh.
RBI singles from Buchler and freshman Jaclyn Merkel pushed the Falcons' first runs across in the third, while another RBI one-bagger from junior Nicole Adams made it a 3-0 game in the sixth. When Merkel blasted a seventh-inning double, it pushed across sophomore Rebekkah Funk, who reached base via bunt and then stole second.
Despite leaving seven runners on base in the second game, all things appeared in order for a no-issues Messiah sweep.
Until the bottom of the seventh began.
Rice gave up a lead-off triple which was followed by an RBI single, trimming the Falcons' lead to 4-1 before an out had been retired. A strikeout was followed by two singles — the latter of which drove in two more scores.
With the go-ahead run standing on first base, Weaver elected to bring back Rhoads to close things out, which occurred promptly. Rhoads got York's Kelly Smith to strike out swinging, ending the game in the 4-3 count.
Merkel paced the team's offense going 3-4 with two RBI, while Adams and freshman Lauren Seneca each finished 2-3.
Messiah will next close out its regular season tomorrow, as the team looks to keep its MAC Commonwealth regular-season record unblemished. The Falcons will take part in a double-header at rival Elizabethtown College. Game time for the first of two is set for 1 p.m.
