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XML Box Score 2 Grantham, PA - Messiah College defeated Gettysburg College today in both games (6-1, 7-6) of the double header, coming back from 4-1 and 6-4 down in the second of the two games.
Mallory Rutledge collected the win from the mound in both games after pitching a complete game one and relieving in game two.
Gettysburg scored first in the opening inning but that would be the only run that the Bullets scored against the Falcons in game one. Maguire hit an RBI double scoring Zengel—one of only three hits by the Bullets.
It was all Messiah from there, with
Becky Notte going 3 for 4 and knocking in two RBIs.
Amanda Jones and
Courtney Allen both went 2 for 3 in the game, scoring one run each. The Falcons collected 13 total hits with Rutledge striking out five batters.
Game two looked like the Falcons would be on the opposite end of the same result when the Bullets pulled out to a 4-1 lead in the fifth inning. Messiah, however, had an answer for the Gettysburg pressure.
Jones and
Brooke Pompeo singled to start the bottom of the fifth and a sac bunt by
Courtney Allen advanced them to second and third. Notte then hit an RBI single, scoring Jones and
Jayme Babczak grounded out to second but Pompeo scored on the play. With Notte on third base,
Krista Ammon hit a long RBI double but tried to stretch it to three and was thrown out at third base.
With the game tied at four, Gettysburg put two base runners on, which forced Rutledge to come in for
Sara McKee. With no outs though, the Bullets capitalized on a sac fly and a wild pitch to go up 6-4 halfway through the sixth.
A single by
Nicole Blantz and then a stolen base put her on second, where she waited for the second-most important hit of the game.
Katie Tankred came in to pinch hit and blasted a double over the head of the left fielder, scoring Blantz.
Emily Quatrale came back in to run for Tankred and right away stole third base.
The comeback was stunted when the Falcons hit two straight groundouts but there was still a chance with Pompeo coming up to the plate. Tankred's earlier hit was bestest by Pompeo when she hit a triple into a huge gap in right center, giving the Bullets no chance to throw out Quatrale.
With the game tied at 6-6, all the Falcons had to do was score Pompeo from third and hold off the Bullets in the seventh.
The Bullets gave the Falcons a little help when Hall fumbled a putout at first base that would have ended the inning in a tie. With the error, Pompeo scored from third putting the Falcons ahead 7-6.
Gettysburg got the chance to come back in the top of the 7
th when Heinbach singled down the left field line. Misurell then flied out the right field and Heinbach stayed put at first. Hall then came up to bat and lined out to Ammon at first who then got the tag on Heinbach to end the game with the double play.
Messiah again led on hits in the second game, 10-7, and Notte hit another two RBIs to the lead the Falcons. Pompeo went 3 for 4 and scored two runs. The Falcons held the Bullets' leading batter, Zengel, to just one hit in both games combined.
With the wins, the Falcons move to 9-5 overall and with the losses the Bullets drop to 10-5 on the year. Messiah will next host Alvernia University this Saturday, Mar. 29, for a double-header starting at 12:00 p.m.
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