Oneonta State Box Score | Thiel Box Score | Hiram Box Score
Clermont, FL — Seeing dirt for the first time in the calendar year, the Messiah softball team got off to a quality start in central Florida, winning three games Monday and Tuesday during a four-day hiatus southward.
The defending national champs rolled both Oneonta State University (8-0) and Thiel College (7-2) Monday morning, then knocked off a talented Hiram College squad by a 7-5 score Tuesday.
That contest was delayed due to early morning thunderstorms in the area, forcing the top-ranked Falcons to cancel their scheduled match-up with Ohio Northern University — a team ranked number three in the NFCA Top 25 Pre-Season poll.
"We almost didn't make our (Tuesday night) flight the way it was," said Amy Weaver, Messiah head coach. "We were disappointed we couldn't play Ohio Northern, but after (the Hiram game) got pushed back, there was just no way."
After sunny skies prevailed in the Falcons' sweep Monday, inclement weather moved in the area overnight, forcing Tuesday's 9:30 a.m. scheduled start against Hiram to be delayed to noon.
When the teams finally did get on the field, 40 to 50 mile-per-hour gusts made things nearly unbearable, as Messiah (3-0) found itself in a battle with the Terriers — a team that qualified to NCAA Regional play last season.
An early start from Messiah helped sophomore pitcher Jessica Rhoads (2-0) maintain a bit of control against the elements, as the Falcons scored five of their seven runs in the first three innings. A double from freshman Stephanie Schell helped pace a three-run first inning, while a double from sophomore Abi Buchler was eventually batted around in the second. When senior Lindsay Hall knocked in Schell following a leadoff walk in the third, Messiah had a 5-2 lead.
Even with the program's most decorated pitcher in the circle, it was an advantage the Falcons would need.
With the elements affecting Rhoads' pitches, Hiram (1-4) put together a rally late. A pair of Messiah errors and a home run from the Terriers' Ashley Pike helped to three runs over the final two stanzas of play for the designated home squad, putting Messiah in its first close game of the year.
Saldy for Hiram, a two-run Messiah fifth kept things from getting really tight.
A Terriers' error and a Hall single helped the Falcons push across the game-winning runs at that juncture, earning the team its 26th straight victory dating back to last season.
Hall finished 3-4 with two RBI in the contest, while Buchler and sophomore Ashley Lehman each went 2-5. Schell's double also knocked in two RBI.
Rhoads, meanwhile, went the distance in the circle, striking out nine while walking three. She allowed six hits, equaling her single-game high from last year. Messiah committed seven total errors on the day, two more than any single game last season.
"The wind was really ridiculous," Weaver said. "Jess couldn't throw some of her pitches, and she had to change the way she threw others. It was tough on her. Still, I was pleased with how we played. We made some errors that were due to the wind, but we still made some physical errors on our own. We've got to clean that up."
Miscues were not a problem in the Falcons' season-opener, as a five-run first inning paved the way for the 8-0 crushing of Oneonta State (0-1) Monday morning. Singles from sophomore Jaclyn Merkel, Schell and Buchler were complemented by two Red Dragons' errors, and Rhoads had plenty of cushion following a three-up, three-down top of the first in the pitching circle.
Rhoads struck out 15 Oneonta State batters on the day, walking just one. A double from Buchler was driven home by a Lehman single in the third inning, while the Falcons got two more runs in the sixth to coast to the win.
Against Thiel (0-3), senior Tori Hatt (1-0) collected the pitching win, benefitting from yet another strong start at the plate from her teammates. Messiah scored five runs over the first three innings, using a double from Merkel to help open a three-run stanza in the first.
A single from Merkel led to two more runs in the third inning, and the Falcons were again in control: Hatt finished six full innings of work by striking out six while walking none, giving up the lone run in the seventh inning.
By then, Messiah possessed a 7-0 lead, however, and things were all but in the book. Merkel paced the team's offense, going 3-4 with three RBI. Senior Abby Bergakker was 3-3 with two RBI, while freshman Taylor Hatt blasted a solo homerun in her second collegiate at-bat.
"I thought it was a really good start for us," Weaver said. "We hit the ball very well, and our pitching was very good. The only thing that disappointed me was some of the errors that we made, but we know we've got to improve. It's a long season."
Weaver was without the services of sophomore and starting shortstop Lauren Seneca throughout the majority of the two-day stretch, as the Bethlehem, Pa. native took a ground ball to the eye in Saturday's practice — the eye welling shut overnight.
As a result, Seneca failed to make a plate appearance, seeing brief stints in the field in all three contests.
"We had to play some people a bit out of place with Lauren's injury," Weaver said. "I was pleased with how we responded."
Perhaps the only downfall to Messiah's initial trip to the Sunshine State was the lack of the anticipated Ohio Northern matchup, as Weaver said her team was looking forward to a top-tier test early in the season.
"We want to face challenges, not run away from them," she said. "But the delay coupled with our travel arrangements just didn't allow it. Hopefully we'll get to see them later on in the year."
Messiah is scheduled to face Shenandoah University next, traveling to Winchester, Va. next Tuesday for a double-header. Game time for the first of two is slated for 3 p.m. The Falcons will return to Clermont, Fla. during the school's spring break, playing six games during the week of Mar. 15. Check the team's schedule page for details.
