BOX SCORE | PHOTOS | VIDEO

Reading, Pa. (May 6, 2011) - Second-seeded Messiah College (34-5) put together a pair of virtually carbon copy innings to plate two runs and junior Jess Rhoads threw a four-hit shutout as the Falcons moved into the Championship round of the Commonwealth Conference Softball Tournament with a 2-0 win over #1 Lebanon Valley (29-8) Friday afternoon at Angelica Park.

The first and third innings both started with a groundout from Ashley Lehman followed by a single from Sara Seneca who stole second base in both innings.  In the first inning, a groundout ensued and Seneca scored on a single from Stephanie Schell.  In the third inning Seneca advanced to third on a single then scored on a Schell sacrifice fly.

Rhoads gave up a single and a sacrifice to start the first but stranded the runner at second.  She gave up back-to-back, one-out singles in the second, but ended that threat with a comebacker and a ground out to second.

A Messiah error put a runner on with one out in the third, but she also was stranded at second.  The only other inning the Dutchmen had runners on was in the sixth when they came up with a single and a walk, but Rhoads ended the inning with her fourth strikeout of the game.

Rhoads added one more strikeout in a 1-2-3 seventh to finish with five for the game.

The Dutchmen will play again on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. against the winner of the first elimination game between #3 Arcadia and #4 Lycoming at 9:00.  Messiah waits in the championship game for the winner of the 11:00 tilt.

#2 Messiah 2, #1 Lebanon Valley 0