Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
Ewing, NJ — A long trip to central New Jersey resulted in Messiah's first split double-header of the season Thursday, as the Falcons won the first game 2-1, but dropped the second contest by an identical score at The College of New Jersey. The Game Two defeat concluded a nine-game winning streak for the club.
"The College of New Jersey is the toughest team we've played so far," said Amy Weaver, Messiah head coach. "We played really well and so did they. The games could have gone either way and we happened to be on the winning side in the first game but not the second. I consider this to be out first legitimate loss. We have two losses from earlier in the season but we just didn't show up in those games. We still played well today, even in the loss."
In the first game, sophomore Jessica Rhoads (7-1) turned in her usual spectacular outing in the pitching circle. Rhoads hurled her eighth complete-game of the season, allowing just a single run on four hits. She whiffed 15 hitters and allowed just six Lions' base runners.
"Jess pitched even better than she did on Wednesday, which is more incredible considering the fact that she is even sicker than she was yesterday," Weaver said of her star, who has been dealing with a bout of influenza.
Even at less than her best health-wise, Rhoads topped 100 strikeouts on the season (111) and kept her earned run average under one (0.65). Opponents are hitting .134 and have scored just five earned runs against Rhoads all season.
"She was tiring a little bit in the sixth inning, and they scored a run off her, but she still was phenomenal. She needs to be sick more," Weaver joked.
The Falcons gave Rhoads all the offensive support she would need in the top of the fourth inning. After sophomore Ashley Lehman reached on an error, classmate Jacki Merkel laid down a bunt single, putting runners on first and second with no outs. Rhoads then dropped down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners to second and third, where senior Abby Bergakker delivered a big two-run single, giving the Falcons a 2-0 lead.
Although TCNJ (11-3) collected three singles and a run in the bottom of the sixth inning, they went down in the bottom of the seventh without scoring, giving Messiah (12-3) their ninth consecutive victory.
The Lions earned revenge in the second game, however, winning by the same score in a game that featured exceptional pitching from both sides.
TCNJ's Lauren Fitzsimmons held the powerful Messiah bats silent for most of the game. She pitched all seven innings, allowing just two hits and one run, while improving her record for the season to 6-0.
"In the second game, we had trouble connecting off (Fitzsimmons) until the fifth inning," Weaver said. "Then we started to figure her out and we managed to score a run, but we had a runner thrown out at the plate in the top of the sixth that would have tied the game."
That series was started thanks to a leadoff single from sophomore Lauren Seneca. Senior Lindsay Hall sacrificed Seneca to second, and senior Nicole Adams and sophomore Abi Buchler walked to load the bases.
With two outs, Merkel drove in Seneca on a single, but pinch-runner Daniella Pusateri was thrown out at the plate to end the inning in bang-bang fashion.
That play would loom large on the final score sheet.
TCNJ put together a run in the bottom of the second inning on two singles and a walk, and added another run in the fourth via four more singles. The Falcons averted a potential blowup in that stanza when Merkel threw out Kelly Hommen at the plate to end the inning.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Merkel provided one of the most memorable defensive plays in recent memory, reaching over the center field fence to rob TCNJ's Caitlin Seamster of a two-run homer. Merkel's grab ended the inning and kept the score at 2-0.
"Jacki's catch was unbelievable," said Weaver. "That catch got us started and finally woke us up."
Sadly, the Falcons could only manage a single base runner in the top of the seventh, unable to make much more noise following what could have been in the sixth.
"We waited too long to get started," said Alex Quigley, Messiah assistant coach. "We put ourselves in an early 2-0 hole and didn't answer back for the remainder of the game. Offensively, we got out bats working a little bit in the fifth but if we had gotten some hits early, it could have changed the momentum for us."
Fortunately, Messiah will not have long to fret over the defeat, as the team will open Commonwealth Conference play Saturday at arch-rival Elizabethtown College. Game time for the first of two is set for 12 p.m.
