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Annville, PA — Apparently, being relegated to the number two seed in the Commonwealth Conference Tournament isn't a big deal, after all.
Messiah made that clear Saturday afternoon at the Lebanon Valley College Softball Complex, handing the host and top-seeded Dutchmen a 4-2 defeat to win the 2010 Commonwealth Championship — the program's second straight and seventh overall.
The Falcons made serious amends following a regular-season concluding split with Lebanon Valley, knocking off the Dutchmen by a 2-1 score Friday after handling Widener University by a 3-0 count in the tournament's opener.
The result was a Messiah team that never ventured out of the winner's bracket at the double-elimination event, an exact replica of last year's title run — minus some of the dramatics.
"This feels really, really good," said Amy Weaver, Messiah head coach. "True, last year we had to deal with some injuries and an extra inning game and a two-hour rain delay, but it's never easy to win a conference championship. It certainly wasn't easy this weekend, either, but we have a strong group of kids that really wanted this in a bad way. I couldn't be prouder of them."
Messiah — ranked ninth in the latest NFCA Division III Top 25 Poll — watched LVC get past Elizabethtown College in Friday's opener, then barreled past Widener to set up a re-match with its conference rivals. Against the Pride, the Falcons rode another strong pitching performance from sophomore Jessica Rhoads, who went five innings allowing just three hits while striking out nine.
The result was goose eggs across the board for Widener (26-14), while Weaver's club picked up two of its three runs in the third. Sophomore Jaclyn Merkel walked and was then sacrificed over to second base, while a pair of two-out singles from Rhoads and senior Abby Bergakker each plated a run.
In the fifth, Rhoads doubled, scoring Buchler, who got on base with a one-out single to right field.
That scoring would hold up, as senior Tori Hatt (1) came on in relief of Rhoads, picking up her first save of the season in pitching two full innings, only giving up a harmless, two-out single in the ninth.
"To me, that was the key to that win," Weaver said. "The fact that we were able to rest Jess at the end was huge. As the number two seed, you've got to play back-to-back games Friday if you win the first. That's really the difference in not being the top seed. Lebanon Valley had time to recover after their win (over Elizabethtown). We didn't."
Except for Rhoads, that is.
With a two-inning respite thanks to Hatt, Rhoads exploded in Friday's afternoon tilt against Lebanon Valley, crushing a two-out homer in the top of the first that made a lasting impression on the game — and the scoreboard.
After Bergakker was hit by a pitch, Rhoads sent a towering blast to left field that clanged off the complex's display board, leaving a noticeable dent.
It was only the start of the damage she would inflict on the hosts.
Rhoads went the distance in the pitcher's circle, striking out a weekend-high 14 batters to keep the Dutchmen off kilter. LVC registered half of its four hits in the bottom of the fourth inning, where a pair of singles resulted in the Dutchmen's only run of the game.
"Jess was outstanding Friday (against LVC)," Weaver said. "Even though she threw five innings (against Widener), she looked strong against Lebanon Valley. Obviously, that win was huge for us."
What Friday's victory did was keep Messiah in the winner's bracket, forcing Lebanon Valley into needing three wins Saturday to claim a championship.
Initially, the Dutchmen appeared poised to do just that. After Widener handed Elizabethtown a 3-2 defeat in the day-opening elimination game, LVC crushed the Pride by an 8-0 score — needing only five innings to do so.
After Lebanon Valley junior pitcher Laura Snyder no hit Messiah through three innings of play in the third contest of the day — picking up a 2-0 lead as well — it appeared a rubber match may have been in store.
That was, until the fourth inning.
Weaver's club erupted for four hits and four runs in the bottom of the stanza, ending Snyder's day in abrupt fashion while taking what would be the final lead of the day.
Rhoads started the frame with a leadoff single, and freshman Stephanie Schell was hit by a Snyder pitch. When sophomore Lauren Seneca successfully bunted Rhoads and Schell over, Messiah had runners on second and third with just one out retired.
Snyder forced senior Nicole Adams to go down swinging, but classmate Lindsay Hall came up huge in her second plate appearance of the game, ripping a single to left field, scoring Rhoads.
When sophomore Ashley Lehman laced a triple to right-centerfield just a moment later, both Schell and Hall scored, putting the Falcons up by a 3-2 count.
Lebanon Valley elected to pull Snyder (13-5) following Lehman's rip, but Messiah wasn't finished. Sophomore Abi Buchler smacked a well-struck single to center field, which easily scored Lehman, giving Messiah its 4-2 advantage.
"Laura Snyder is a very good pitcher," Weaver said. "We really struggled against her in our loss last week. Today, we started to hit her a little better. I don't think we had her completely figured out, but you could tell that we were getting more comfortable as the game went on. I was surprised that they pulled her when they did, but you can understand (Lebanon Valley's) mentality. We had three hard hit balls against her in that inning."
From that point, Rhoads would settle in, getting some of help from her defense. With a runner on first, LVC's Katie Freeman launched a shot to the left field warning track in the sixth, but that was collected by Schell.
In the seventh, Rhoads induced a pair of groundouts before striking out the Dutchmen's Caitlin Keller.
The celebration was on. Again.
Messiah rushed the field and embraced one another near the pitching circle, celebrating the program's seventh conference championship overall. In addition to last year's title, Messiah has now claimed league championships in 2010, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996 and 1994.
"Over the last week, we talked a lot about how to make it happen," Weaver said. "How to manufacture runs if we're struggling at the plate, how to trust your defense if you get in a jam. We just have been talking a lot about making it happen. Today, we made it happen, and I think a lot of that speaks to the leadership of our seniors. We have a strong core of seniors who simply do not want to lose. That leadership has been both spoken and shown on the field."
Rhoads was also a big reason for Messiah's success, as the Dillsburg, Pa. native was named the Commonwealth Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player after going a composite 5-7 at the plate with four RBI, two doubles and a home run. Rhoads (26-3) also collected all three pitching wins, giving up just 13 hits while striking out 27 and walking one.
"(The post-season) is a different season, but we're still treating it the same way as all of our games," Weaver said. "For us, it's one game at a time. It can be tempting to look ahead, but that gets you nowhere. I thought we really focused in this weekend. All three wins were quality wins."
Messiah now awaits word of where it will play in next week's NCAA Regional action, as the NCAA will announce the 60-team field — along with locations, pairings and game times — Monday at 12 p.m.
The official selection show will be aired on www.NCAA.com at noon EST Monday. Messiah will be making its sixth appearance in NCAA Regional competition. The conference did not qualify for an automatic bid when the Falcons won the crown in 1997.
"We'll wait and see where they put us, just like everyone else," Weaver said. "It's an exciting time, and we're looking forward to whatever challenges lie ahead."
