Grantham, PA - No. 11 Messiah College scored two runs in the fifth inning to break a 1-1 tie, and it would be all they needed in a clinching Game Three win over Haverford College in the Super Regional Championship.
Courtney Allen earned her 26th win in the process and was named the Most Outstanding Pitcher, and
Brooke Pompeo earned Most Outstanding Player after collecting four hits on the weekend, including a game-trying RBI in Game Three.
The win for Messiah secured their fifth-ever trip to the NCAA Division III World Series, and it was also their 44th on the season-- a new program record. The Falcons (44-4) will play their first game on Thursday in Salem, Va. against Rowan University at 6:30 p.m.
Super Regional Game Three - Messiah 3, Haverford 1
The Fords scored their only run of Game Three in the first inning, and it was the product of both clutch hitting and some fortune. After a leadoff single, Julia Blake laid down a bunt that perfectly split Allen and Pompeo on the left side, and it rolled to open space for an infield hit. Allen then induced a routine fly to right, but both runners moved up when Messiah's infield was caught off guard on the return throw in. Kristin Tatum took advantage with a hard RBI single to left; the hit was struck so well that it probably would not have scored a runner from second base. But the run trotted home from third for a 1-0 lead.
Allen recovered to get the next two outs, leaving runners stranded on the corners.
Messiah put single runners on base in each of the first two innings, but neither time did the runner get past first. However, in the third inning the Falcons evened the score.
Madelyn Yannetti started the rally by reaching base on an error, and two groundouts later she was at third. Then, on an 0-1 pitch, Pompeo put a well-placed single through the hole on the right side to score Yannetti.
The game moved quickly to the fifth when Haverford was poised to retake the lead. In an eerie repeat of the first inning, Rachel Wolfson (single) and Julia Blake (bunt single) both reached to lead off the frame. That brought up Kaitlyn Guild, and she also laid down a bunt, but Pompeo made a terrific play to collect it and go to third for the force. Allen then struck out Tatum and got Jessica Koshinski to ground out to keep the score 1-1.
Then, in the span of four batters, Messiah took a two-run lead. Bingaman's leadoff double went over the head of centerfielder Miwa Wenzel, and she went to third on a sac bunt by Yannetti.
Shannon Denny then slapped a grounder to the right side, and Bingaman beat the throw home for the 2-1 advantage.
Carrie Fix followed with the Falcons' second double of the inning to score Denny from first.
The 3-1 lead was all
Courtney Allen needed to secure the win as she allowed just one more base runner the rest of the way. The final out came on a chopper to
Amanda Jones at short, with her throw across to first base setting off the celebration for the Falcons
Allen struck out four batters and allowed eight hits. As mentioned, the lone Haverford run was earned and came in the first inning. Allen, who took the loss in Game Two, allowed just two earned run across 15 innings of work on the weekend. She improved her record to 26-1 and lowed her earned run average to 1.52.
Messiah collected just four hits in the win but, most importantly, two of those hits scored runs.
Super Regional Game Two - Haverford 6, Messiah 5
In the first game of the day--which started on Saturday and finished on Sunday-- Messiah College scored three runs but fell short in their attempt to close their deficit in a 6-5 loss. The game, which was halted on Saturday in the middle of the second inning, started back up today at 1:00 p.m.
with Messiah trailing 6-2.
Carrie Fix shutdown the Fords in her five innings of work, but Messiah left two runners on base in their last at-bat as Haverford forced a winner-take-all Game Three.
The Falcons chipped away at their four-run deficit with single runs in each the second and third innings, and then two more in the fifth. They were really in business in the fourth when Fix (triple), Pompeo (walk), and Allen (infield single) loaded the bases with no one out. But Sara Tauriello settled down to get the next three outs without allowing a run. The hard-luck moment for Messiah came with
Becky Notte at the plate and no one out, with her liner to the left side getting snagged out of the air by shortstop Rachel Wolfson.
Even still, Messiah came oh-so-close to tying the game in the seventh. Fix reached base by way of an error, and soon was on third base with one out. Now with
Courtney Allen at the plate pitcher Kendall Chambers made a nice sang on a one-hopper, and she threw out Fix who broke on contact with just one out. Notte then grounded to short with what appeared to be the third out, but she was ruled safe when the throw pulled the Fords' first baseman off the bag. That brought Jones to the plate, but she grounded out to short for the final out.
Allen took a mostly hard-luck loss for her first loss of the season. She pitched just one inning
in the rain on Saturday, and gave up six runs-- all unearned. The rain did her no favors as she walked four batters in that single frame.
Fix went five innings and allowed just two hits and a single walk against four strikeouts.
