Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
Winchester, VA — Early-season issues in the field caught up to Messiah Tuesday afternoon, as the top-ranked Falcons dropped a pair of error-aided decisions to host Shenandoah University, 5-4 and 7-6.
The losses snapped a program-record 26-game winning streak, as Messiah's last loss occurred back on April 2, 2009 — a 4-0 defeat to Eastern Mennonite University.
Tuesday at Shenandoah (5-3), the Falcons committed five total errors, leading to just three of the Hornets' 13 total runs being unearned.
"Probably what bothers me more than the winning streak ending, was losing two games in a row," said Amy Weaver, Messiah head coach. "In the sport of softball, you're probably not going to stay undefeated, no matter how good you are. But to lose two in a row today, that was rough."
Sophomore Jessica Rhoads (2-1) suffered her first pitching defeat since a 5-2 loss to Gettysburg College Mar. 1 of last season — her only previous loss at the collegiate level.
Rhoads certainly did her part Tuesday at Shenandoah's Henkel-Harris Stadium, however, striking out 13 Hornets' batters while walking just two. She gave up just three hits, but a pair of Falcons' errors helped the hosts to three runs in the fourth inning — a stanza that would change the complexion of Game 1 permanently.
Messiah (3-2) got two runs in the top of the first inning, thanks in large part to a pair of Shenandoah errors and a passed ball. But the Hornets took the lead in their half of the fourth following an issued strikeout from Rhoads.
An error in the field allowed Shenandoah's next batter to reach base safely, and Rhoads walked the Hornets' Ashley Plaugher.
A double from the Hornets' Jolisa Jones put the runners in motion, and another fielding error allowed all three base runners to score. Rhoads gathered herself to strike out two of the following three batters, but Messiah was staring at its first deficit of the season.
"Unfortunately our errors came at a time where Shenandoah got some big hits," Weaver said. "When you make mistakes and you allow the other team a chance to capitalize, it kills you."
Still, the Falcons had enough resolve to regain a lead in their half of the sixth, using a leadoff single from sophomore Ashley Lehman and another error from the Shenandoah defense to set the stage for Rhoads at the plate: The Dillsburg, Pa. native delivered with a two-RBI single to left field, putting Messiah up by a 5-3 score with just an inning and a half left to go.
Sadly, Shenandoah would again take advantage of some Falcons' miscues.
Rhoads allowed Plaugher another a one-out double to start things, then hit Jones with a pitch. Those runners then advanced to second and third on a passed ball, while a follow-up single from the Hornets' Lauren Wall drove them both home for the lead.
Rhoads again struck out two of the final three batters to end the inning, but Messiah's portion of the seventh delivered no more magic: The Falcons went three up, three down to close the game, tasting defeat for the first time in nearly a year.
"The kids were shaken after the first game," Weaver said. "Mentally, they were down. We didn't have a lot of time to really dive in and talk about things and regroup, and I think that kind of carried over into the second game."
In Game 2, a five-run third inning from Shenandoah blew things open, trumping a one-run stanza from Messiah in the second.
Senior Lindsay Hall knocked an RBI single to again put the Falcons on the board first, but a five-hit, one-error bottom of the third helped Shenandoah claim a 5-1 advantage.
All of the Hornets' third-inning runs came with two outs in the bag, while none were earned. Another Messiah error kept the inning alive, and the Hornets piled on three additional hits to keep the runners moving.
Despite a pair of two-run innings in the fifth and sixth, Messiah could not recapture a lead. Doubles from freshman MaryAnn Becker and sophomore Abi Buchler were followed by a single from senior Rebecca Stackhouse in the fifth, while singles from both Becker and freshman Stephanie Schell helped drive in two in the sixth.
Still, Shenandoah was able to keep its lead thanks to a pair of one-run follow-ups in both stanzas, making it a 7-5 ballgame going into the seventh.
Messiah nearly completed the game-tying rally, scoring off a wild pitch, but a groundout ended the game with Rhoads — who reached on a single — stranded at third.
Junior starter Corinn Eby (0-1) was saddled with the pitching loss, going two and two-thirds innings while allowing six hits and five runs — none of which were earned. Stackhouse and Becker each finished 2-4 from the plate in the nightcap.
Messiah has averaged over two and a half fielding errors per game thus far on the season. Last year, the team averaged 0.7 errors per game.
"As a team, after the first few innings of the first game, we hit really well," Weaver said. "We just made too many mistakes. You can't expect to win when you make that many errors. You can't give the other team that many opportunities, especially a team that hits the ball as hard as Shenandoah does. That's their strength, and we compounded it with our mistakes."
Messiah will attempt to dust itself off before again traveling to the Orlando-area for a six-game in five-day stretch, leading off with singular games against New England College and Ripon College Monday morning.
Weaver said that while the losses sting, they may be the best thing to happen to this team at this point in the year.
"We found out that a lot of our kids felt pressure from the winning streak, and we needed to talk about that," Weaver said. "Our attitude since then has been much more relaxed, loose, wanting to just play and have fun. I think we're going to be fine. I think that Tuesday, overall, could be a really good thing for us."
Messiah will be in action against New England at 9:30 a.m. Monday at the National Training Center Softball Complex. A single game against Ripon will follow at 11:30 a.m.
