GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Messiah softball team split with Lebanon Valley this afternoon falling 5-2 in the first game but then won the nightcap 5-0. Haylee Anders went 4-7 on the day with a run scored and in the second game Amber Bingaman led with three hits. Three other players Carrie Fix, Erin Cressman, and Samantha Esper all had two hits in game two.
 
Madelyn Yannetti (5-4) suffered the loss in game one with Fix (6-5) earning the victory in the second game. Messiah is now 17-13 overall and 8-2 in the MAC Commonwealth. They are hosting Stevenson University this Saturday afternoon with the games set to begin at 1:00 p.m.
 
Game One: Messiah 2, Lebanon Valley 5
The Dutchmen utilized a three-run seventh inning to win the game and give the Falcons their second conference loss. Lebanon Valley took the lead in the fourth when Kristi Langhans hit a home run. Messiah followed up with two runs in the bottom of the inning when Ashley Carroll delivered a two-run double down the left field line to make the score 2-1.
 
Still ahead 2-1 in the sixth, Lebanon Valley tied it up when Kate Whelski ripped a homer to left center and then in the seventh the Dutchmen scored three runs to go ahead 5-2. All of those runs were scored with two outs and unfortunately two errors were costly for Messiah who was unable to push any runs across in the bottom of the inning and suffered the loss.
 
Game Two: Messiah 5, Lebanon Valley 0
The Falcons played a lot better in the second game and got the offense going racking up 13 hits and played errorless defense. The fifth inning is where everything got started when Carrie Fix doubled down the left field line and Haylee Anders earned a walk. Amber Bingaman then singled to load the bases as Erin Cressman stepped up and hit a two-run single to right field giving Messiah a 2-0 lead.
 
Messiah added three more runs in the sixth inning off three hits. Madelyn Yannetti hit a single to start the inning and then Ashley Carroll reached on an error. Esper then hit a single to score pinch runner Morgan Zimmerman and Carroll scored on a passed ball not long after. Fix then grounded out to third base but Esper was able to score another run to make it 5-0.
 
With a comfortable lead all the Falcons needed was three outs to win and they did just that in a big way as Amber Bingaman made a web jem of play in center field. After Riley Shockley hit a single the next batter Langhans hit one out to right center which Bingaman tracked down and caught. She momentarily lost her footing but was still able to throw the base runner out from her knees for the double play. The final out was recorded by way of a strike out as Fix picked up the win.