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Rice Comes Up Big In Game One Win, EMU Shuts Out Falcons Late
Normally known for her pitching prowess, junior Megan Rice came up big at the plate Wednesday.

Grantham, PA — Visiting Eastern Mennonite University was able to tame the Messiah bats — to a degree, anyway — recording a double-header split with the Falcons in 2-1 and 0-4 scores Thursday afternoon.

Messiah (20-4) was able to knock seven hits in the opener but needed extra innings for the win, while EMU held the Falcons to just three hits in the nightcap en route to the 4-0 visitors’ decision.

The results equated to a bittersweet day for the Falcons, as the program reached the 20-win plateau for the fourth straight season while suffering its second split decision in as many attempts at its newly renovated home stadium.

“It was good to come away with the Game One win, but (the second game) was a tough loss for us,” said Amy Weaver, Messiah head coach. “We need to be able to put away teams like this. We are a better team and just didn’t show it today.”

Weaver’s club needed extra innings to secure the Game One victory, as freshman pitching ace Jessica Rhoads got back on the winning side of things after suffering her first collegiate loss — a 2-1 decision to Gettysburg College — Tuesday afternoon.

Rhoads (12-1) went the full eight innings in the win, striking out 16 of 26 batters faced while allowing just two hits on the day.

Unfortunately, Messiah’s lone error of the day helped bring an EMU run home in the top of the third inning, as the Royals’ Mandee Madden bunted on before stealing second and third. She then got home on the aforementioned Falcons’ error.

That run tied things at 1-1 following a Messiah score in the home half of the second, as a lead-off single was eventually batted around off singles from Rhoads and then freshman Abi Buchler.

Messiah would strand six base runners following its score — for a total 10 on the day — before finally bringing in the game-winner in the bottom half of the international-tie-breaking eighth. After Rhoads mowed down three straight Royals in the top of the inning, Messiah drove in freshman Jaclyn Merkel, who was placed on second to start the bottom half of the stanza. Junior Lindsay Hall reached on EMU’s third error of the day, while a single from classmate Megan Rice drove Merkel home, concluding the game in dramatic fashion.

The fact that Rice got the chance to hit was a crafty move from Weaver, as the left-handed Rice was brought on to pinch hit for the right-handed Abby Bergakker.

“(EMU pitcher Jamie Fraysher) was getting us all on outside stuff to the righties,” Weaver said. “I substituted a lefty batter because of that, and it worked. Megan was purely putting a lefty batter on a good outside throwing righty pitcher, and she delivered.”

The game-winning RBI was Rice’s first hit of the season in seven at-bats, making Weaver’s risk-reward even greater. Buchler finished the game with three of Messiah’s seven hits while Rhoads knocked two more. Each of the game’s nine total hits were singles.

“We came out and got people on base right off the bat, but we left a lot of people on base,” Weaver said. “Jess pretty much shut them down. They only had two runners on all game, but we made a key error to allow them to score. Fortunately Jess shut them down again in the top of the eighth and Megan was able to bring the winning run in for us.”

With just three left-handed batters on the roster, EMU’s Fraysher proved to be too much for Messiah in the day’s closer, allowing just three hits in the 4-0 Royals’ win.

Sophomore Corinn Eby (1-2) suffered the pitching loss, giving up no runs and just two hits — until the sixth inning.

That’s when EMU erupted for all four of its runs on four hits, as Eby gave up three singles, a double and a walk before being removed in favor of Rice.

Averaging 6.2 runs per game coming into the nightcap, Fraysher would ensure Messiah would stay well below its average. While striking out just two, Fraysher limited the Falcons to equaling a season-low in hits, nabbing the first shut out victory over Messiah on the year.

“Fraysher just dominated us,” Weaver said. “She kept the ball on the outside and we chased it. She frustrated our batters and we didn't recover. Roo (Eby) threw well for six innings, but we couldn't recover at bat after the sixth. Again, it was just a tough loss for all of us. We are better than what we showed.”

Fortunately, Messiah will not have long to wait before it’s back on the field, as the team will resume MAC Commonwealth play Saturday against Lycoming College. Game time for the first of two is set for 1 p.m. at Starry Field.