Arcadia Softball Puts the Pressure on Messiah in Game Two

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

GLENSIDE, PA (April 21, 2012) - With a quick jump-start in today's second game, Arcadia Softball turned their 2-1 lead into a 3-1 advantage with one inning to play, however visiting Messiah College struck for the game-tying and go-ahead scores in a three-run seventh, going on to hold the Knights off the board in the bottom half to clinch a sweep of today's Commonwealth Conference doubleheader at Blankley Field.

The Falcons took today's opener 7-0. Kelsey Roberts worked a complete game one with 5 earned runs off Messiah's 13 hits. She walked none and struck out 3. Her couterpart, Sara Dietrich went 6.1 innings for the Falcons and hurled 7 strikeouts against Arcadia's 3 hits through 21 batters faced. Arcadia got hits from Leanda Helms '14, Amanda Tomasheck '14 and Erin Wojcieszyn '12 in today's opening tilt.

The nightcap however was a different story for Arcadia, after allowing a Messiah run to score in the top of one, the Knights erased it in the home half. Wojcieszyn ripped a single down the left field line, moved to second on a ground out and came home when Marissa Perez '13 delivered a single.

The game remained tied at one-all until the Knights tacked on a second score in the bottom of three. Perez doubled to center to get on base, moved to third on a ground out and touched home on a passed ball giving Arcadia their first lead of the afternoon, a 2-1 advantage.

Starting pitcher Jess Wood '14 and the Arcadia defense stymied the Falcons over the next few frames and would add to their lead in the bottom of the sixth off an RBI single into right field from Heather Buriak '14 for a 3-1 Arcadia advantage.

The Falcons could only muster up four hits across innings one through six but what followed in the seventh was enough to decide the game. Messiah belted out an RBI double to left field, an RBI triple to right center followed by an RBI single to center to go on top 4-3, leaving Arcadia their final at-bat to settle the score. It wasn't to be however, as the Knights were forced into three straight outs and settled for a one-run loss.

Wood was charged with today's loss. She worked the complete game, allowing 3 earned on 7 hits with a walk and one strikeout.

Messiah remains unblemished within the Commonwealth Conference at 10-0 and improves to 27-6 overall. The Knights drop back to 16-20 and will miss out on the Commonwealth Championships with one final league matchup against Albright remaining on April 28. Prior to that the Knights host Haverford College this Tuesday, April 24 at Blankley Field (3 p.m.).

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