Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
Elizabethtown, PA — It was a case of both the routine and the bizarre Saturday afternoon at Elizabethtown College, as Messiah wound up sweeping a wild, Commonwealth Conference-opening doubleheader against the rival Blue Jays, winning by 4-0 and 10-4 scores.
Sophomore pitching sensation Jess Rhoads delivered what has become the norm in Game One, hurling a complete-game shutout for her eighth decision of the year. Rhoads struck out the first seven hitters of the game, allowed a single and two pop ups, and struck out six more in a row — allowing just a two measly hits and striking out 16 hitters on the game.
"Jess was fantastic," said Amy Weaver, Messiah head coach. "She did really well all day. She just shut them down in the first game. (Elizabethtown) can hit, but they had only two hits the whole game."
The Falcons' bats contributed with single runs in the first and second innings, before adding two more in the sixth frame.
Sophomore Jacki Merkel led off the game with a single, stole second, reached third on classmate Abi Buchler's sacrifice, and scored on a double from senior Abby Bergakker.
In the second, senior Nicole Adams walloped a triple, and scored on an error by the Blue Jays' second baseman.
"We started out pretty well with a run in the first inning," Weaver said. "We got another run in the second and then we didn't score for a while. It's a good thing that the early lead held us for a while."
It wouldn't have mattered with the way Rhoads was pitching. Messiah (14-3, 2-0) added two more runs in the sixth off a double from Rhoads herself, while singles by sophomore Lauren Seneca, senior Lindsay Hall, and Merkel helped push across the added insurance.
The second game of the doubleheader was one of the more wild ones in recent memory.
After starting freshman pitcher Jocelyn Hickey allowed three hits and a walk for two runs in just one and a third innings, she was replaced by junior Corinn Eby. But the Elizabethtown (10-5-1, 2-2) bats got to Eby also, tacking on two more runs, before Eby was replaced with Rhoads in the third.
Despite pitching a complete game shutout just an hour or so earlier, Rhoads (9-1) gave Messiah four and a third fantastic innings. She entered with the Falcons trailing 4-1 — and a runner on third base with two outs. She induced a fly out to right field to end the inning and, over the course of the game, allowed just three hits and a walk, while striking out seven hitters.
"Jess didn't give up any runs all day long," an appreciative Weaver said. "She wasn't expecting to pitch at all in the second game and although she got a little tired in the later innings, she held them off. She did a really good job."
Though Messiah's bats remained silent for the majority of the game — senior Rebecca Stackhouse singled in the third and then scored on a double from Buchler — they erupted late. Three runs in the sixth tied the contest, while a single-inning high six scores in the visitor's half of the seventh blew the game open.
In the top of the sixth inning, the Falcons finally got to Elizabethtown pitcher Emily Vogel, knocking three hits off the hard-throwing right-hander.
After Buchler singled, Bergakker sacrificed her to second base. Two outs later, Seneca hit a big two-run triple, bringing the Falcons within one run, 4-3. Freshman Pinch-hitter MaryAnn Becker then connected for a single, scoring Seneca, and tying the game at 4-4.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Elizabethtown put runners on first and second with just one out after a double and a walk. But Rhoads geared down and retired the final two hitters, on a strikeout and a groundout to second.
In the top of the seventh, craziness reached its highest level. Stackhouse led off with a single, and the winning run was on base. Stackhouse reached second on a groundout from Merkel. After Buchler singled and Bergakker walked, the Falcons had the bases loaded with just one out.
Rhoads sliced a line drive to left field, but Lindsey Cooper made a diving catch to preserve the tie.
With two outs gone, it looked as if extra innings were imminent. But sophomore Stephanie Schell drove in two runs, including the game-winner on a single, and Adams cleared the bases with a three-run triple.
"I'm really proud of our team," said Weaver. "They didn't give up. We were hitting the ball all night but just right at people. Then we found some holes and the runs came in. Their never-say-die attitude was great. We had contributions from everyone tonight. Hitting, pitching, fielding, even pinch-hitting. MaryAnn Becker had a huge single to tie the game in the sixth inning. It's great to start off conference play with two wins, obviously."
The fourth-ranked Falcons were scheduled to face Widener University Monday, but that double-header was postponed until next week due to rain. Messiah will now be in action next at Gettysburg College Wednesday, with the first of two slated to begn at 3 p.m.
