Owings Mills, MD – The No. 8 Messiah softball team swept Stevenson University this afternoon winning 10-4 and then 4-1.
Amanda Jones,
Amber Bingaman, and Sydeny Boreman all led the team with two hits each in game one.
Samantha Esper was 3-3 and
Erin Cressman was 2-3 in the second game.
Alyssa Hamilton also had a good offensive showing in game two finishing 2-2.
Carrie Fix (14-2) earned the win in game one after throwing five solid innings.
Madelyn Yannetti (15-3) threw a remarkable game two giving up just one hit all game.
The Falcons are now 32-6 overall and finished 14-2 in the MAC Commonwealth regular season. They are back in action next weekend when they travel to Alvernia University for the MAC Commonwealth conference tournament.
Game One: Messiah 10, Stevenson 4
The first four innings went fairly quickly as both teams were unable to secure many base runners or hits. It wasn't until the fourth inning when Messiah got their first hit and scored eight runs.
Carrie Fix was hit by a pitch to start the inning and then
Samantha Esper was also hit by a pitch. A throwing error by Stevenson allowed
Amanda Jones to reach base safely and load them up.
Erin Cressman stepped up with an opportunity but the defense made a nice play at the plate for the force out on Fix running home.
Amber Bingaman then reached on a fielder's choice and the Mustangs were unable to secure an out so Esper scored on the play.
McKenzie Tebbs then delivered the first hit of the game for the Falcons, a double to right center that scored both Jones and Cressman.
With two outs and runners on third and second,
Sydney Boreman singled to third base and Bingaman scored to extend the lead 4-0.
Shannon Denny then hit a single to score Tebbs and Fix, who started the inning, came back up with a single up the middle to score a run. A couple batters later Jones hit a two RBI single to right field with the bases loaded and then Stevenson retired the next batter but the damage was done as Messiah scored eight runs on six hits and one error.
The Mustangs responded and scored a run in the fourth and fifth inning to cut the lead 8-2, but it was the sixth inning where the Messiah defense stayed solid to end their rally. After retiring the first two batters, Naomi Fields reached on an error and the next two batters were walked to load the bases. Haley Lennon then hit a two RBI single to cut the Falcons lead down 8-4.
Samantha Fouracre, who entered to pitch for
Carrie Fix at the start of the inning, stayed composed and forced Erin Stephey to fly out to right field to end the inning.
Messiah added a few insurance runs in the seventh inning,
Amanda Jones got things going with a single through the right side. With one out,
Amber Bingaman singled and then both runners advanced on a passed ball. After a strikeout,
Samantha Fouracre reached on an error and both Jones and Bingaman scored on the play extending the Falcon lead 10-4.
Fouracre made quick work of Stevenson in the bottom of the seventh retiring them in order to help secure the game one victory.
Game Two: Messiah 4, Stevenson 1
Messiah scored first in the top of the third inning to go up 4-0.
Carrie Fix started the inning with a single and then
Samantha Esper laid down a bunt single.
Amanda Jones then singled to load the bases and
Erin Cressman reached on a fielder's choice with Fix scoring on the play.
Amber Bingaman singled to score Jones, and then Cressman ended up scoring on the throw. Later with one out and a runner on third,
Amanda Petersen entered to pinch hit and singled up the middle to score Bingaman.
Defensively both teams were solid and hits were hard to come by in the next couple innings. Messiah did have a chance in the fifth inning but the Mustang defense ended the rally as two runners were left on base.
Heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Falcons still held a 4-0 lead but Stevenson's Jasmyn Ogletree hit a home run to put them on the board but that is all they would get as
Madelyn Yannetti finished strong helping Messiah earn the sweep.
