Messiah v. Bethany Box Score - Messiah v. Wisconsin-Stout Box Score
By Bryn Swartz, GoMessiah.com reporter
Clermont, FL — It took a disappointing performance against the University of Wisconsin-Stout to ruin what had been an otherwise perfect Florida road trip for the Messiah Falcons.
In the first game of the team's Thursday double-header, Messiah improved to 8-1 on the season by routing a good squad in Bethany College, 4-0. But the Falcons fell 1-0 to the University of Winconsin-Stout in the afternoon game, their first loss in nearly three weeks.
Junior Jess Rhoads hurled six hitless innings in the win against the Bison, allowing just a third-inning walk while striking out 11. She ran her consecutive scoreless innings streak to 16, made even more incredible by the fact that the Dillsburg, Pa. native hasn't allowed a base hit yet this season.
The Falcons provided Rhoads a run in the bottom of the first. Junior Abi Buchler doubled, advanced on classmate Jacki Merkel's single, and scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of freshman Sara Dietrich.
In the bottom of the fourth, Messiah scored three more. Dietrich led off with a double. Classmate Krista Ammon walked. Sophomore Stephanie Schell grounded into a fielder's choice, putting runners on first and third. Junior Lauren Seneca singled in Dietrich and Ammon, and scored the game's fourth run with the aid of an error by the catcher.
The Falcons removed Rhoads for Dietrich in the seventh inning. Dietrich easily handled Bethany's bats to complete the shutout.
“We played really well in the first game,” said Messiah head coach, Amy Weaver. “We shut them down. Jess pitched six great innings against a good team.”
Against Wisconsin-Stout, the Falcons' bats were quieted all game by the stellar pitching of the Blue Devils' Bri Conrad. Although Conrad allowed six hits and a walk, Messiah was unable to muster a single run.
It wasn't as if Messiah did not have opportunities, however. In the second inning, Dietrich led off with a walk and advanced to second on Ammon's sacrifice bunt. Schell followed with a single, but Detrich was thrown out at the plate — a play that would later prove to be extremely costly for the Falcons.
Luckily for Weaver's club, sophomore Jocelyn Hickey matched Conrad's zeros across the scoreboard. Hickey allowed just two hits in the first five innings in the pitching circle, both second inning singles.
In the top of the sixth, Buchler reached on a one-out error. Merkel singled to put runners on first and second with just one out in a scoreless game. Dietrich reached on an error, loading the bases. But Ammon and Schell grounded out, and the game headed into the bottom of the sixth without any score.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Devils' Courtney Richardson belted a two-out solo homer, providing the game's only run to date.
In the top of the seventh, the Falcons needed just a run to extend the game, but couldn't get it. Junior Lauren Seneca led off with a single and advanced to second on sophomore Myranda Cox's sacrifice bunt. Junior Ashley Lehman singled, and the Falcons had runners on first and third with just one out. But freshman Sara Seneca popped up to short and Buchler flied out to right to seal the fate for the Falcons.
“We just did not hit well,” Weaver said. “Their pitcher was good but we've definitely faced better. We had six hits but we just couldn't get anything.”
Despite pitching seven strong innings and allowing just three hits and a run, Hickey took the loss, just the third of her college career.
“Jocelyn pitched great, except for the solo homer. When your pitcher gives up only three hits and you still lose, it's tough,” Weaver said.
The Falcons (8-2) will conclude their southern swing with a pair of games tomorrow, the first against Salve Regina University and the second against the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Games are set to begin at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., respectively.
