Game 1 Box Score - Game 2 Box Score
By Bryn Swartz, GoMessiah.com reporter
Grantham, PA — In a battle of nationally-ranked squads, Messiah swept The College of New Jersey 5-4 and 7-6 Tuesday, increasing its winning streak to 10 straight — and moving to 8-0 on its own Starry Field. The Falcons, ranked sixth in the latest NFCA Top 25 Poll, improved their record to 18-2 for the season.
Going against the 19th-ranked Lions, Messiah showed heart and determination by winning a pair of one-run games — their fourth and fifth straight victories without junior All-American Jessica Rhoads gracing the pitching circle.
The Falcons started sophomore Jocelyn Hickey in Game One, and Hickey retired the first nine hitters, which included a trio of strikeouts in the third inning.
In the bottom of the first, Messiah scored a run when freshman Sara Seneca reached on an error, stole second, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on junior Jacki Merkel's double.
The hosts added three more runs in the bottom of the third. Merkel led off with a single and took second on an error. Freshman Krista Ammon singled Merkel home, and advanced to second on the throw. Junior Lauren Seneca and sophomore Taylor Hatt added doubles later in the inning, and the Falcons led 4-0 through three innings.
The College of New Jersey (13-4) scored an unearned run in the top of the fourth on a hit by pitch, an error and a passed ball. But the Falcons responded with a run in the bottom of the fifth, as freshman Lauren Smith reached on an error, advanced on Sara Seneca's double and scored on junior Abi Buchler's single.
A testament to its ranking, however, TCNJ rallied in the top of the seventh. Trailing 5-1, the Lions' Liz Huttner walked and Kelly Hommen doubled. Katelyn Congilose reached on an error, scoring Huttner, and sending Hommen to third. Colleen Cawley singled, scoring Hommen, and cutting the deficit to 5-3 with still no outs.
At that point, Messiah head coach Amy Weaver pulled Hickey and replaced her with freshman Sara Dietrich. Dietrich struck out pinch-hitter Nicole Brodbeck swinging, but Michelle Kent singled, scoring Congilose. With a 5-4 lead, and runners on first and second with just one out, Dietrich bore down, striking out TCNJ's Michelle Casale looking and forcing Crystal Lee to ground out, ending the game, and clinching a Falcons' victory.
"We weren't able to pitch Jess (Rhoads), but Jocelyn did a good job again," Weaver said. "She got tired later in the game but Sara did a good job closing out the game. We made a couple of errors, but we hit well and came away with a one-run victory."
The Falcons sent Dietrich out to the circle to start the second game. Dietrich struggled, allowing 10 hits and six runs (four earned) in five and one-thirds innings. She struggled with her control, walking four — and balking twice. Thankfully, the Falcons' bats bailed out Dietrich.
In the bottom of the first, the Falcons collected three runs off an RBI double by Merkel, an RBI triple by Ammon, and an RBI single by Schell.
They scored three more in the bottom of the third. After Schell walked, Lauren Seneca reached second on an error, and Schell advanced to third. Dietrich helped her own cause, hitting a two-run single, and scoring a couple of batters later on an error.
The Falcons replaced Dietrich with freshman Shayna Weber in the top of the sixth. Weber pitched the game's final one and two-thirds innings, allowing just two hits and no runs. She allowed the potential tying run to reach second with one out in the seventh, but retired the final two hitters on a pop up, and a grounder.
"Sara didn't have her best stuff today, and she was tired from pitching the end of the first game," Weaver said. "Shayna Weber did a great job closing out the game. She hasn't pitched in a while and this was a big situation for her to be in. She rose to the challenge, and closed them out for the victory."
Weaver said she hopes Rhoads can return from her injury as soon as possible, but until she does, the team's bats — as well as pitchers Jocelyn Hickey, Sara Dietrich and Shayna Weber — will need to keep rising to the challenge.
The next challenge will be considerable, as Messiah will play Commonwealth Conference rival Lebanon Valley College Saturday. Game time for the first of two is set for 12 p.m.
