Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – The Gettysburg College lived dangerously throughout its non-conference affair with visiting Messiah College on Tuesday, letting the Falcons put runners on in each of their first five plate appearances. The Bullets avoided any major damage, however, and held a 4-2 lead heading into the sixth, but Messiah stormed back with six runs in the frame en route to an 8-5 victory.

Junior Nicole Yannotta (Whippany, N.J./Whippany Park) continued to hold a hot bat for Gettysburg (10-7) by going 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI. Over her last 10 games, she is hitting .452 (14-for-31) with five doubles and eight RBI. Senior Heather Sagaities (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg) and sophomore Sarah Woodbury (Audubon, Pa./Mt. St. Joseph Academy) each tallied a double and scored a run.

Messiah (11-11) jumped on the scoreboard in the first inning as Abby Bergakker stroked a bases-loaded single to plate a pair of runs. The Falcons put the lead-off runner on base in each of the first three innings, but they stranded a pair of runners in the second, while the Bullets closed the third with a double play.

Gettysburg picked up its first run in the second inning when Woodbury singled, advanced to third on a ground out, and came around to score on a wild pitch. In the following inning, Yannotta brought in a pair of runs with a two-out double to give the hosts a 3-2 lead. The Bullets tacked on another run in the fourth on an RBI-groundout by sophomore Kara Kempski (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Mendon).

After loading the bases in the fifth and coming up empty, Messiah capitalized on its scoring opportunities in the sixth inning with six runs on four hits and four walks. All the Falcon runs were scored off of Bullet hurler Kristy Rubino (Parsippany, N.J./Parsippany), who was lifted with one out in the frame.

Gettysburg tried to get a rally started in its final at bat with Sagaities doubling to right-center and scoring on a single by Yannotta, but Jessica Climenhaga induced a grounder to second to seal the win.

Rubino surrendered eight runs on 11 hits and five walks to fall to 6-3 on the year. Climenhaga improved to 4-3 for Messiah after allowing five runs (three earned) on eight hits, while striking out eight.

Lindsay Hall went 3-for-4 with two RBI for the Falcons, while Bergakker plated three runs on a pair of hits. Nicole Adams and Rebekkah Funk also scored a pair of hits in the game.

Gettysburg resumes its Centennial Conference schedule on Saturday, April 5, with a road trip to Swarthmore College at 1 p.m.