ITHACA, N.Y. -- The top-seeded Messiah Falcons (39-5) beat the sixth-seeded Keuka Storm (24-5-1) to claim the regional title at the NCAA Division III Regional held at Ithaca's Kostrinsky Field. The Falcons advance to the NCAA Division III World Series in Salem, Va.
Left fielder Stephanie Schell and right fielder Jessica Brown both had three hits and two runs batted in to lead Messiah's offense. Third baseman Ashley Lehman singled, tripled, scored two runs and drove in two others.
Jessica Rhoads struck out seven while allowing two hits and a walk in 5.1 shutout innings.
Schell singled in Lehman in the third for the Falcons' first run and Lehman tripled in a pair of runs an inning later.
The Storm managed put three runners on base over the first six innings (two were erased on double plays) before breaking through in the bottom of the seventh. Catcher Sara James led off with a singel, moved to third on a wild pitch and a fly ball to the outfield, then scored when Messiah's Jocelyn Hickey was called for an illegal pitch.
Brown doubled home two fifth-inning runs and Schell's run-scoring single in the sixth closed out Messiah's scoring.
