Grantham, PA – The No. 7 Messiah softball team split with Hood College this afternoon as they fell 2-1 in extra innings in the first game and then won 7-3 in the nightcap. Erin Cressman was 4-6 on the day with three runs scored, Amanda Jones went 4-9, and Mckenzie Tebbs was 2-5 on the day. Madelyn Yannetti  (12-3) suffered the loss in the first game but picked up the win in the second game.

The Falcons are now 26-5 overall on the year and 10-2 in the MAC Commonwealth. They are back on the field next Wednesday Apr. 19 at home against Eastern Mennonite University. Game time is set for 3:30 p.m.

Game One: Messiah 1, Hood 2
In the top of the second inning Roo Saglimbeni double to center field to start the inning for Hood. Kayli Paugh reached on as error by Samantha Esper as she tried to get the lead runner out at third. Jess Sedgwick then hit a sacrifice fly out to right field and Saglimbeni was able to score on the play giving the Blazers a 1-0 lead.

Amber Bingaman singled to start the bottom of the second and was advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and then Sydney Boreman grounded out with Bingaman advancing to third on the play. With a chance to score Haylee Anders was struck out by Paugh to end the inning.

Messiah had another opportunity in the bottom of the fourth when Erin Cressman battle at the plate and notched a single in to left field to start things off with one out. The left fielder for Hood made a throwing error and so Cressman advanced to second. Bingaman grounded out to the shortstop  Cressman advanced to third but she would be left stranded as McKenize Tebbs grounded out to second base to end the inning.

In the bottom of the sixth Samantha Esper reached first on an error by the third baseman. With Esper in motion stealing second Amanda Jones hit a long fly ball to center field that was caught and then Esper was thrown out tyring to get back to first on the double play. Erin Cressman stepped up to the plate and boy did she deliver for the Falcons as she hit her seventh home run of the season, a bomb over the left field fence, to tie the game up at one.

Neither team was able to score in the seventh inning and so extra innings were needed to finish this game. Hood had an opportunity in the top of the eighth when Roo Saglimbeni hit a double to right field and then the next two batters walked to load the bases. Madelyn Yannetti stayed strong in the circle after relieving Carrie Fix in eighth inning, as the next batter hit a liner right back at her but she didn't even flinch to record the third out of the inning.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shannon Denny singled and then Carrie Fix reached on a bunt single. Esper and Jones were both retired and then with two outs Hood decided to intentionally walk Erin Cressman to load the bases. Amber Bingaman was the next batter and hit a pop fly out to right field that was caught and thus ended the inning.

The international tie breaker rule came into effect in the tenth inning and so the Blazers started with a runner on second base. Sophie Leaman hit a single with one out and then Saglimbeni hit single to score Kaitlin Barron from second base. Another single by the Blazers loaded the bases but Madelyn Yannetti retired the next two batters.

In Messiah's half of the inning Shannon Denny started on second base and Carrie Fix was the first batter and she laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Denny to third. Samantha Esper grounded out and then Amanda Jones flied out to the pitcher and the Falcons suffered the 2-1 loss.

Game Two: Messiah 7, Hood 3
Messiah scored early in the second game taking a 4-0 lead after the first inning. Samantha Esper laid down a bunt single with one out and then Amanda Jones hit an infield single to get things going. Erin Cressman drew a walk to load the bases and then Amber Bingaman delivered a big double to left center to score both Esper and Jones. McKenzie Tebbs grounded out to second base but Cressman was able to score on the play. Then with two outs Sydney Boreman put forth a good at bat hitting a single up the middle with Bingaman scoring for the fourth run of the inning.

Hood utilized a couple RBI singles and Falcon error to earn three runs back in the top of the second and the score was 4-3 after one and half innings played.

In the bottom of the third, Erin Cressman hit a shot to left center and it looked like it was going over the fence but unfortunately hit the top and bounced back in play for a double. With one out Amber Bingaman hit a single up the middle to score Cressman and the McKenzie Tebbs reached on a double to left field. The next two batters for Messiah were retired and they left two runners on base.

In the bottom of the fourth inning Shannon Denny laid down a nice bunt single to get things going. With two outs and Denny on third Amanda Jones hit a single – her third hit of the game – up the middle to score Denny. Erin Cressman then hit a single and Jones advanced all the way to third on the play and Cressman made it into second safely. Bingaman was the next batter and popped to shortstop for the last out of the inning but the Falcons held a 6-3 lead after four innings.

The Blazers had a chance to score in the fifth inning when two errors by the Falcons allowed runners to reach base. However with runners at first and third, Madelyn Yannetti was able to get Jessica Sedgwick to foul out to Samantha Esper and end the threat.

Messiah added one more run in the fifth inning when McKenzie Tebbs hit a double to left field and then with two outs and Tebbs on third base, Shannon Denny put down a perfect bunt single to score the run and extend the lead 7-3.  Madelyn Yannetti did solid work I the remaining two innings to phase the Blazer offense and secured the win for Messiah.