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Messiah Erupts With 8-0, 10-0 Wins To Open 2009 Campaign
Freshman Jessica Rhoads was phenomenal in her first collegiate pitching appearance Monday.

Clermont, FL — A pair of pitching gems and a raucous offense got the Messiah softball season off to a brilliant start Monday, as the Falcons dispatched Clark University 8-0 and Northland College by a 10-0 score at Legends Way Ballpark in Clermont, Florida.

Freshman Jessica Rhoads tossed a no-hitter in the day’s first contest while junior Megan Rice allowed just three knocks in the second, leaving the door wide open for Messiah’s offense to pounce.

Twenty-two hits and 16 RBI later, it was clear that the Falcons’ bats were up to the task, too.

“We are very, very excited to jump out to a 2-0 start the way we did,” said Amy Weaver, Messiah head coach. “Our pitchers were incredible, and our hitters exploded at bat. It was a very positive performance from everyone.”

Rhoads (1-0) stole the limelight in the day’s first contest, as the first-year right-hander fanned 10 Cougars’ batters in six innings of work, coming just a walk and a Messiah error away from a perfect game. Most of Messiah’s offense occurred in a six-run second inning, as freshman Jaclyn Merkel blasted a two-run homer to complete the scoring.

Merkel tripled in her first collegiate at-bat, eventually finishing 3-4 with three RBI for the game. A leadoff double from senior Amy Bowie got things started in the top of the second, while a double from freshman Lauren Seneca brought the Falcons’ first run of the season across. A double from sophomore Rebekkah Funk and a single from freshman Ashley Lehman brought home three more runs, while Merkel’s blast cleared the bases.

The Falcons ripped a total six extra-base hits on the game, finalized in a double from sophomore Rebecca Stackhouse in the top of the sixth. A single from Merkel pushed her across the plate, eventually concluding the game by virtue of the eight-run rule.

Merkel led a foursome of multiple-hit performances on the game, as Stackhouse (2-4, a run scored), Bowie (2-3, two runs scored), Seneca (2-2, one run scored, one RBI) and junior Lindsay Hall (2-2, one run scored, one RBI) all were outstanding offensively.

Messiah’s bats failed to get quiet against Northland (0-2) in the day’s second contest, as the Falcons put up crooked numbers in all but one inning en route to the 10-0, five-inning affair. Rice (1-0) scattered just three singles in yet another dominating pitching performance, while four Messiah doubles helped turn things into a blowout. Singles from Stackhouse and junior Nicole Adams made it a 2-0 score after one full inning was completed, while five hits led to four more scores in the third. Back-to-back doubles from Seneca and junior Abby Bergakker brought three across in that stanza, while a double from Bowie highlighted a three-run fourth.

When the smoke cleared, Messiah had shortened its second game ahead of schedule, made possible by another strong effort at the plate and solid performance in the pitching cirle.

Rice finished with nine strikeouts to just one walk, allowing just five base runners on the day. Adams, Bowie and Stackhouse all finished with two hits each, while Adams drove in two runs. Seneca and Bergakker also drove in two RBI apiece.

Messiah traveled to the Sunshine State Friday, utilizing the warm weather to practice outdoors before playing its initial two games of the season.

“It was a great trip for us, for a lot of reasons,” Weaver said. “I know the girls have been excited for a long time to get going. We feel good about our effort today.”

Weaver’s club will fly back to Grantham Monday night and is scheduled to play again Friday at Hood College. The Falcons are slated to face off against the Blazers in a double-header, with the first pitch set for 2:30 p.m.