Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Sophomore Lanie Parr (Washington, D.C./Academy of the Holy Cross) tossed a six-hit shutout and freshman Joy Hallfors (Mt. Airy, Md./Linganore) belted a pair of triples to pace Gettysburg College past fifth-ranked Messiah College 11-0 in the nightcap of a non-conference softball doubleheader at Bobby Jones Field on Wednesday.

Gettysburg (11-8-1) earned a split with the defending national champions as Messiah (15-4) took the opening game 4-1. Hallfors and sophomore Catrina DelGais (Airmont, N.Y./Suffern) each collected three hits and three RBI in the doubleheader.

The Orange and Blue was one of a select group of teams to beat the 43-4 Falcons last spring and the team made an early bid to do so again in Wednesday's finale with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. After loading the bases without the benefit of a hit, DelGais dribbled a single through the right side to plate the first two runs. Freshman Sam Bader (York, Pa./Central York) added a sacrifice fly to stake the hosts to the early 3-0 lead.

The Bullet bats stayed hot in their second trip to the dish, sending 11 players to the plate and rapping out five runs on five hits. Hallfors started the action with a triple to right-center and junior Megan Lott (Bellsville, Md./Pallotti), DelGais, Bader, and junior Caitlin Bay (Flemington, N.J./Immaculata) each provided run-scoring singles. Parr helped her cause on the mound by drawing a bases-loaded walk before Bay's base knock.

Messiah took a stab at the scoreboard in the fourth and put runners on first and second with two outs. Ashley Lehman poked a single to center field, but Hallfors gunned down the runner trying to score from second at the plate to end the threat.

Gettysburg retaliated in the bottom half of the frame as Hallfors cleared the bases with a bomb down the right-field line. The ball landed on the warning track and the Bullet first-year easily scampered into third.

The 11 runs marked the most given up by Messiah since a 13-11 loss to Division II Felician College on March 17, 2008. It was the highest run total put up by a Division III team since Susquehanna beat the Falcons 11-8 on April 13, 2006 and it was Messiah's first shutout loss since a 4-0 decision to Eastern Mennonite University on April 2, 2009, the team's last setback before winning the national title last spring.

Parr, who lost a 4-1 decision to Messiah while pitching for Elizabethtown College last spring, improved to 6-2 on the year after scattering six hits over five innings, while walking three and striking out six. Hallfors went 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBI and DelGais was 2-for-2 with a walk, a run, and three RBI. Bader went 1-for-2 with two RBI and senior Kara Kempski (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Mendon) reached base three times with a single and two walks.

The opening game belonged to the Falcons and star hurler Jessica Rhoads. After suffering her only loss of the season to Gettysburg 5-2 last season, Rhoads held the hosts to just five hits, while striking out 10 on Wednesday. Messiah plated two runs in the second and after seeing the Bullets close the gap with a run-scoring single by Lott in the third, the visitors added another pair in the sixth to secure the win.

Senior Beth McCullough (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Homestead) fell to 4-6 with the loss. She allowed only seven hits and four runs, only two of which were earned, while fanning five.

Gettysburg resumes its Centennial Conference schedule on Saturday, April 3, with a doubleheader at Swarthmore College beginning at 1 p.m.