Grantham, PA – The No. 11 Messiah softball team swept Alvernia University in their first MAC Commonwealth contests of the season. They won the first game 4-0 and the second game 4-2. Amber Bingaman was 3-7 with four RBI's on the day, Shannon Denny was 3-3 with two runs scored, and Samantha Esper was 3-5 across the two games. Erin Cressman and Amanda Jones each scored two runs and Messiah racked up 21 hits.
 
Carrie Fix (4-2) threw a complete shutout in the first game and earned a save in the second game. Madelyn Yannetti (7-1) picked up her seventh victory in game two.
 
Game One: Messiah 4, Alvernia 0
The Falcons pushed across two runs in the third inning to take an early 2-0 lead. Amanda Jones and Erin Cressman both walked wit h two outs and Jones advanced to third on a wild pitch. Amber Bingaman hit a single to right field to score Jones and advance Cressman to second. McKenzie Tebbs then delivered a two-out single as well to score Cressman.
 
The Crusaders had an opportunity in the fourth inning when Emily Carmella hit a single to start the inning, but the Falcon defense was solid and retired the next three batters.
 
The next opportunity to score for Messiah didn't come until the top of the seventh inning they added two more runs to push their lead to 4-0. With one out, Kyra Bond singled to first base and then advances to second on a throwing error by the first baseman. Bond was thrown out at third on the next play and Amanda Jones reached first safely on the fielder's choice.
 
Erin Cressman hit a double to left field that score Jones and she advanced to third on a pass ball. Amber Bingaman singled up the middle for her second RBI of the game. In the bottom of the seventh Alvernia went down in order and Carrie Fix (4-2) earned the win throwing the complete game shutout. She struck out five batters and allowed four hits in the game, Messiah played solid defense behind her and did not commit any errors.
 
 
Game Two: Messiah 4, Alvernia 2
Messiah took an early 1-0 lead in the second game pushing across a run in the first inning. Carrie Fix singled and then was advanced to second on a SAC bunt by Samantha Esper. With two outs, Erin Cressman hit a double to left field to score Fix.
 
In the bottom of the second, Amanda Tuner reached on a fielding error and then advanced to second on a SAC bunt. With two outs, Alex Maher drew a walk but Alvernia was unable to score as Madelyn Yannetti pitched out of the inning.
 
In the third inning Shannon Denny singled to left field to get things going. Two batters later and with one out, Samantha Esper laid down a bunt single and Denny advanced to second and then third base on a throwing error. Esper stole second and with two outs Erin Cressman drew a walk to load the bases. Amber Bingaman stepped up to the plate and hit a single to right field that scored Denny and Esper giving the Falcons a 3-0 lead.
 
Messiah added another run in the fourth when Emily Quatrale singled up the middle and was advanced to second by Shannon Denny who singled on a bunt. With the bases loaded and one out, Denny ending up scoring on a throwing error by the catcher to extend the lead 4-0.
 
The Crusaders' Breanna DePriest started off the bottom of the fifth with a homerun to left field putting Alvernia on the board. They were able to get two more runners on base in the inning but Yannetti stayed strong and got out unscathed and it was 4-1 heading into the sixth.
 
Messiah had a chance to score in the sixth but left two runners on base while Alvernia added another run in the bottom of the inning cutting the lead 4-2. In the bottom of the seventh, Emily Carmella hit a single for the Crusaders and Messiah then entered Carrie Fix to pitch. Fix was able to retire the next two batters pulling the Falcons one out from victory. Sarah Bystycki singled and runners advanced not long after to second and third on a wild pitch. With the winning run at the plate, Alex Maher grounded out to second base to end the game. Madelyn Yannetti (7-1) earned her seventh win of the season and Carrie Fix picked up her first save of the year.
 
The Falcons are next in action Wednesday Mar. 29 at home against Albright College. Game time is set for 3:00 p.m.