Messiah Rallies For 8-3 Win Over Muhlenherg
ITHACA, N.Y. – The top-seeded Messiah Falcons (36-5) advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III softball playoffs, beating the eighth-seeded Muhlenberg Mules (25-16) 8-3 Thursday morning in the first game at the Ithaca Regional, hosted by Ithaca College. The Falcons advance to play the winner of Thursday’s Western Connecticut-St. John Fisher game Friday at 2:30 p.m.; the Mules will take on the loser of the Western Connecticut-St. John Fisher game Friday at 10 a.m. in an elimination game.
Messiah took the lead for good with a two-run third-inning rally. Right fielder Jessica Brown’s sacrifice fly brought home first baseman Krista Ammon to put the Falcons up 4-3. Messiah tacked on four runs over the final two innings.
Jessica Rhoades, who earned the win after striking out 11 batters in six innings of two-hit pitching, drove in three runs, with two scoring on her first home run of the season. Catcher Sara Seneca had three of Messiah’s 12 hits, collecting two singles and a double.
The Falcons scored twice in their first at-bat, with Rhoades and left fielder Sara Schell driving in runs with infield groundouts.
Muhlenberg bounced back to take the lead with a three-run third inning. Pitcher Ashley Brewer ripped a triple to right center, scoring left fielder Colleen O’Donnell and center fielder Devon Barber. Kelly Kline followed with a run-scoring single to put the Mules ahead.
Rhoades and reliever Sara Dietrich, who pitched the seventh inning, held Muhlenberg hitless from that point, retiring the last 13 batters.
