Game 1 Box Score - Game 2 Box Score
Grantham, PA — Even without any true seniors in uniform, senior day was a rousing success for Messiah softball.
The Falcons bid farewell to senior manager Amelia DiLapo and junior pitcher Jessica Rhoads before the start of Thursday's double-header with McDaniel College, taking the pair in dominant fashion behind 5-1 and 7-1 scores.
“Jess has set almost every pitching record we have and we're not quite sure what we're going to do without Amelia next year,” said Amy Weaver, Messiah head coach. “She does so much for us both on the field and off.”
It remains to be seen if Rhoads' senior day will actually hold true, as the Dillsburg, Pa. native has one year of athletic eligibility remaining — though she's set to graduate from Messiah in a few weeks. Rhoads (10-1) picked up her 10th win of the season in Thursday's opener, pitching six innings while striking out nine and allowing just two hits, walking none.
Rhoads helped herself at the plate in the fifth inning, blasting an RBI single in the midst of a big Messiah surge: The Falcons scored three runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth to provide Rhoads with all the insurance she would need, taking advantage of six of the team's 10 hits in those two frames alone.
A triple from sophomore Stephanie Schell started it all off in the fourth, driven home by freshman Krista Ammon in the team's next at-bat. A double from freshman Amanda Fife brought Ammon around as well as junior Lauren Seneca, who reached via walk.
In the fifth, Rhoads' single pushed across junior Jaclyn Merkel, who reached via single as well — and then scored on a throwing error by the Green Terror's second baseman.
A single from freshman Sara Dietrich scored another run, and Messiah was off to the races.
Dietrich relieved Rhoads in the top of the seventh and faced just five McDaniel batters, allowing one hit — but also tossing three passed balls.
One of three Messiah batters to record multiple hits (Sara Seneca and Merkel were the others), Dietrich kept her hot batt going in the nightcap, finishing 3-3 with two runs scored and two RBI. The Falcons didn't wait quite as long to get going offensively in Game Two, scoring five runs in the third inning — and giving sophomore starting pitcher Jocelyn Hickey all the run support she would need.
A two-out, two-RBI triple from Dietrich began the scoring, while another three-bagger from Ammon pushed across two more. Lauren Seneca followed with a double, scoring Ammon and opening up the 5-0 disparity.
Hickey (10-2), meanwhile, was impressive in the circle, allowing just five hits while striking out seven and walking none. McDaniel (14-24) scored its lone run in the top of the fourth off a single and a double, but Messiah (29-5) tacked on insurance markers in the fifth and sixth frames, the latter coming off another RBI base knock from Dietrich.
On the afternoon, Dietrich finished 5-6 at the plate, blasting four RBI and scoring three runs.
Messiah will next travel to Alvernia University Saturday for a Commonwealth Conference double-header with post-season implications. A Falcons' sweep could pit them as the top seed in the upcoming league tournament, should Lebanon Valley College not sweep against Arcadia University.
Game time for the first of two is set for 1 p.m.
