Box Score
Fredericksburg, VA – Messiah College dropped their season-opening game on Friday, losing 2-1 at Mary Washington.
Sarah Dietrich completed 6.0 innings for the Falcons with two earned runs allowed on five hits and two walks.
The Falcons did collect six hits of their own, but managed just one run way of a sac fly off the bat of
Becky Notte in the top of the sixth inning.
“We had trouble putting hits together today,” said Messiah head coach
Amy Weaver. “We hit the ball hard a few times, but also right at the defense. Eventually those hits will fall.”
Eagles starter Hannah Otterman worked around a two-out single by
Courtney Allen in the first inning, with Mary Washington taking a 1-0 lead in their first at-bat. A leadoff walk to Brandee Adam—one of two walks to Adams on the day—proved costly when Hannah Williams laced a two-out double to center field to put the Eagles in front.
The Eagles scored again in the fifth inning, with a Stefannie Asselanis' infield single scoring a runner from third base with one out.
Messiah did earn a run back in their next at-bat, as Allen singled again and eventually moved to third with one out. Notte's fly out to left field scored Allen.
Madelyn Coffey followed with a two-out triple to center field, but was stranded at the inning's end.
“We finally broke through with a few big hits by Madelyn and Becky, but we couldn't come up with enough to make up for the deficit,” said Weaver. “We probably could have made some plays out there defensively, and it proved too much for us to overcome today. But we're only going to get better.”
“It was a pitcher's duel today,” Weaver added. “In games like this, one or two plays can make all the difference.”
Dietrich limited the Eagles to just two runs, though Mary Washington had at least one runner on base in all but the third inning. She also proved a bit wild on the cold afternoon, throwing three wild pitches.
The second game of the scheduled doubleheader—which started but could not be completed because of daylight—will not count towards the teams' records or statistics.
Messiah (0-1) will again play on Friday, Feb. 22, when they travel to Greensboro College for a doubleheader to start at 3:30 p.m.
