Grantham, PA – The No.18 Messiah College Falcons (23-2, 8-0) swept Lebanon Valley College (11-9, 5-5) in Sunday's doubleheader and move to 8-0 in MAC Commonwealth play.

The Falcons scored in the opening frame then tacked on single runs in both the second and fifth innings to win Game One 3-2. Becky Notte went 2-for-3 in the game, collecting her 200th career hit to become the third Falcon in program history to reach the milestone.

In Game Two the Falcons led the entire way and held to Dutchmen to a lone run in the top of the seventh before closing things out with the 4-1 win.

Game One - Messiah 3, Lebanon Valley
The Falcons' bats were primed and ready to go from the very first pitch Sunday. In the bottom half of the first, Carrie Fix launched the very first pitch for the Falcons over the left field fence. She drove the opening change up well beyond the 200-foot fence to give her team the early 1-0 lead.
 
The Falcons added to their tally in the bottom of the second when Amber Bingaman singled to right center, scoring Amanda Jones. Jones made her way on base via a single that got through the left side then advanced to second with a stolen base.
 
With only one hit through the first three innings, the Dutchmen struggled to find their groove against the Falcons' ace Courtney Allen. Allen accumulated six strikeouts through the early innings, as well. Sammy Bost was the only player to get the best of Allen in her first two at-bats, as she made her way on the base path by way of a walk and a triple.
 
In the top of the fourth, however, the Dutchmen got on the board and tied the game on a two-run homerun from Elaine Gross.
 
After coming up empty in the bottom of the fourth, the Falcons manufactured their go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth. Allen helped herself out with a one-out single and made her way to second on an errant throw by Lebanon Valley's shortstop. In the next at-bat Notte singled then made an aggressive move to second base, which allowed Allen to move ahead to third as well. With runners in scoring position, Amanda Jones laid down a bunt to the right side of the field. The perfect placement allowed Allen to score and put the Falcons ahead 3-2.
 
The score would hold through the remaining innings, despite the Dutchmen's efforts. Lebanon Valley picked up two hits in both the sixth and seventh innings, but failed to push an additional run across the plate.
 
Offensively, four different Falcons (Allen, Notte, Jones, and Shannon Denny) had multi-hit performances in the MAC Commonwealth victory.

Courtney Allen went the distance from the mound, picking up her 12^th win of the season. She allowed just two runs on seven hits, struck out a season-high 11 and walked two.

Game Two - Messiah 4, Lebanon Valley 1
The Falcons struck first once again against the Dutchmen, posting a single run in the first inning. The lone run scored as a result of two hits and walk, with Jones getting credit for the RBI.
 
Two more runs crossed the plate in the bottom of the second as the Falcons strung together three hits. Amber Bingaman (single), Sydney Boreman (double), and Haylee Anders (single) each picked up hits in the frame.
 
The 3-0 lead remained in tact until the bottom of the fourth when Erin Cressman went yard for her team-leading fifth homerun of the season.
 
The Falcons carried the 4-0 until the top of the seventh, when the Dutchmen got on the board via another homerun, this time off of the bat of Emily Johnson.
 
Starter Carrie Fix minimized the majority of threats from the Dutchmen, allowing base runners in just the first and seventh innings. In all other innings, Fix retired the side with three-in, three-out.
 
In the seventh, Fix gave up the leadoff homerun then got back-to-back groundouts before allowing a single and a walk. Those two batters would be her last, as Madelyn Yannetti came in to close out the game. Yannetti struck out the final batter, giving the Falcons the 4-1 victory and claiming her third save of the season.
 
Fix earned the win and moved to 8-1 on the season. She threw 6.2 innings, giving up just one run on five hits. She walked one and struck out two.
 
Offensively, the Falcons were led by Amber Bingaman (2-for-3), and Amanda Jones (2-for-3). Jones, Cressman, Boreman, and Anders each picked up RBI in the victory.
 
The Falcons will next play Eastern Mennonite University on Thursday. The away contest will begin at 3:00 p.m.