Game 1 Box Score - Game 2 Box Score
By Bryn Swartz, GoMessiah.com reporter
Grantham, PA — Junior and returning All-American pitcher Jessica Rhoads didn't step on the field for Messiah Tuesday.
It didn't matter.
With Rhoads on the shelf to rest following an early-season injury, the Falcons claimed a pair of wins over visiting Gettysburg College, defeating the Bullets 4-3 in the first game and 10-2 in the second. The victories improved the Falcons' winning streak to eight, as the team improved to 16-2 on the season.
Sophomore Jocelyn Hickey, boasting a 4-1 record and a tiny 1.38 ERA, started the first game against Gettysburg's Lanie Parr. Neither pitcher allowed a run in the first inning, although the Falcons left the bases loaded.
In the bottom of the second, freshman Amanda Fife walked and advanced to second on sophomore Taylor Hatt's sacrifice bunt. Freshman Lauren Smith singled, sending Fife to third. Classmate Sara Seneca doubled to left center, scoring Fife.
The Falcons collected single runs in the bottom of the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. In the bottom of the fourth, Sara Seneca doubled with two outs, and scored on junior Abi Buchler's single down the right field line.
In the fifth, freshman Krista Ammon blasted a triple to center field and scored on sophomore Stephanie Schell's sacrifice fly to right field.
Trailing 3-0, Gettysburg (10-6) rallied in the top of the sixth. After Caitlin Bay walked and advanced to second on a passed ball, cleanup hitter Maggie Maguire blasted a homer to right center. Shortstop Catrina DelGais singled, advanced to second on another passed ball, and scored the game-tying on teammate Sam Bader's single to left field.
But the Falcons responded, putting across a fourth run in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, freshman Sara Dietrich began the rally by doubling to center field. Ammon walked and Dietrich scored on Schell's single to right center field.
The Bulldogs threatened in the top of the seventh, putting runners on first and second with just one out. But Sara Dietrich, in her second inning of relief, bore down, striking out Bay swinging and retiring catcher Adrienne Rahs on a grounder to short.
“Gettysburg has a really good pitcher and they threw her in the first game,” said Amy Weaver, Messiah head coach. “We still scored four runs, which was enough. I thought Jocelyn pitched very well. She gave up a homer in the sixth inning. It was a good outside pitch with ball movement but their hitter still pulled it out. It was a great homer. Jocelyn still pitched very well. They have a pretty good hitting team.”
In the second game, the Falcons started Dietrich (5-0), who had collected the win by pitching in relief in the first game.
Dietrich rose to the challenge, throwing five strong innings. She allowed just three hits and one earned run.
The Falcons' bats exploded, putting across runs in every inning before the game was called after five innings due to the eight-run Falcons' lead.
In the first, Sara Seneca singled and scored after advancing on a sacrifice bunt, an infield hit, and a grounder to second.
In the second and third innings, the Falcons scored two. Buchler provided the big hit in the second, scoring Fife and junior Ashley Lehman on a single. In the third, it was Lehman's two-out, two-run single that provided all of the scoring for the Falcons.
Four more runs scored in the fourth as the Falcons benefited from a pair of Gettysburg errors, as well as six singles. Ammon, Lauren Seneca, Fife, and Lehman all drove in a run.
Throughout the game, Messiah collected 10 runs on 16 hits. Gettysburg's Taylor Snyder pitched the whole game, dropping to 5-3 for the season.
“In the second game, we hit really well off their pitcher,” Weaver said. “We just exploded on offense. Even though she wasn't quite as strong as (Parr), (Snyder) was still a good pitcher. I was impressed with our hitting.”
Messiah — ranked sixth in the latest NFCA Top 25 Poll — will take their 16-2 record into a third home double-header in four days, as they host 19th-ranked The College of New Jersey Tuesday. Game time for the first of two is set for 3 p.m.
