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XML Box Score 2 Atlanta, GA - The Messiah College softball team headed south to kick off their 2014 season Friday. Their opening double-header against Emory University - a team that already had 12 games under their belt - proved to be more than the Falcons could handle. Despite the warmer temperatures and sun-drenched skies, the less-experienced Falcons (0-2) were held scoreless through both games, suffering 8-0 (5 innings) and 1-0 losses.
"The winter has been brutal on us and it showed," head coach
Amy Weaver said. "You can tell that this was our first games outside. We made too many mistakes in the first game and a solid team like Emory will make you pay. We got our act together in the second game and really competed. It could have been anyone's game."
Game One
The Falcons had a tough outing in their opening game, giving up eight runs in only five innings of play. Defensive errors (4) plagued the Falcons throughout the game, yet a strong Emory side busted out 11 hits, resulting in two runs in both the second and third innings. The Eagles (14-0) added four more runs in the fifth to take the first game victory.
Offensively, the Falcons had runners on base in the first three innings, but failed to push a score across the plate. Their best scoring opportunity came in the third when
Krista Ammon got a leadoff single and made her way to second on the next play. With one out,
Tina Lehman reached on an error by Emory's pitcher, Amanda Kardys. Unfortunately for the Falcons, the resulting first-and-third situation didn't play out like they would have hoped. In the next play, Lehman took off for second but got into a run-down so that Ammon could break for home. As soon as she did, the Eagles forced her back and even made a play on her at third, resulting in another attempt by Lehman to steal second. Once again, the Eagles went after her, allowing Ammon to try and score, but this time Emory's efforts were successful and Ammon was out at the plate.
Nicole Blantz grounded out to end the inning.
Courtney Allen,
Amanda Jones, and
Krista Ammon were the only Falcons who managed to get a hit, while
Becky Notte made her way onto the base path with a walk.
Mallory Rutledge (0-1) took the loss after throwing 4.2 innings. She struck and two and allowed only one walk. Emory's hurler, Amanda Kardys, moved to 9-0.
With the win, the Eagles gave their head coach, Penny Siqueiros, her 500
th career victory.
Game Two
The second game featured a pitching duel between
Claressa Mees and Emory's freshman Brittany File. In the first inning, Mees gave up a leadoff double and three straight walks to walk in the game's sole run for the Eagles.
The Falcons had solid scoring opportunities in both the fifth and the sixth innings. In the fifth, Messiah had bases loaded with two outs but couldn't drive in any runs. In the sixth, two walks and a passed ball put the tying run on second and the go-ahead run on first. Once again,
Krista Ammon came up big for the Falcons, driving the ball to right field and sending the runners around the bases. A strong throw from Emory's right fielder, Pollard, caught Messiah's lead runner at the plate for the second out; but the Falcons weren't out of it yet. With runners on second and third, the Falcons needed another hit to equalize and even pull ahead. Emory's Brittany File prevailed, striking out Lehman to end the inning.
File (4-0) went the distance for the Eagles, giving up gave up four hits and fanning nine. Mees (0-1) took the loss, despite allowing just two hits.
The Falcons will play their final games in Atlanta tomorrow (Saturday) against DePauw University. The double-header will begin at 12:30 p.m.
