GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Messiah softball team swept Stevenson University this afternoon winning 8-1 in the first game and then 12-0 in the second game. Erin Cressman certainly had a day as she finished 5-7 with six RBI's and two runs and she also hit two home runs on the day. Haylee Anders went 7-7 with three RBI's and two runs scored, Carrie Fix had five hits on the day including going 3-3 in game two. Overall a very balance offensive effort put forth by the Falcons today.
 
Fix (7-5) picked up the win in game one throwing all seven innings while Joy Kolakowski (7-3) won game two throwing four innings with Madelyn Yannetti entering to pitch the final inning as the five-run mercy rule was enforced.
 
Messiah moves to 19-13 overall and 10-2 in the MAC Commonwealth. They are back on the field next Wednesday Apr. 18 when they travel to Lycoming College with games beginning at 3:30 p.m.
 
Game One: Messiah 8, Stevenson 1
Stevenson loaded the bases in the first inning but with two outs pitcher Carrie Fix was able to retire the final batter by way of a ground out to shortstop Samantha Esper and end the Mustang threat. The Falcons got things going in the bottom of the first as Fix led off with a single to right center and then Anders reached on a bunt-single. After a double steal, Amber Bingaman hit a shot to left field that scored two runs and her feet were moving as she made it to third safely. Cressman then delivered a double to right field to give Messiah a 3-0 lead.

The next scoring opportunity for Messiah came in the bottom of the fourth when Madelyn Yannetti singled to start the inning and pinch runner Morgan Zimmerman was advance to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ashley Carroll. After Stevenson recorded the second out of the inning, Fix hit a single to right field to score Zimmerman from third base as the Falcons had a 4-0 lead after four innings. The Mustangs got one run back in the fifth inning when Tiffany McKee hit a solo homer to left field but that was the only run of the game for Stevenson.

Messiah busted it open again in the bottom of the sixth inning adding some insurance runs to their total. They scored four more runs off four hits which included a two-RBI single from Anders and a two-run homer to left field by Erin Cressman. Senior utility player Natalie Hoober entered in the seventh as a pinch runner and scored a run when the home run was hit.
 
 Game Two: Messiah 12, Stevenson 0
The offensive power continued for Messiah in the second game as they tallied 14 hits. Carrie Fix started things off the bat with a single to center field and then stole second to get into scoring position. Haylee Anders then singled on a bunt and the next batter Amber Bingaman ripped a shot to left field to score two runs but was thrown out trying to advance to third on the play.
 
Erin Cressman kept it going with a single and then Isabel Seise reached on an error by the pitcher while Cressman kept running and scored on a throwing error in the same play. Later in the inning with two runners on Ashley Carroll hit a single to right field to score two runs and at the conclusion of the first inning Messiah had a 6-0 lead.
 
The Falcons added four more runs in the second inning when Fix hit a homerun and Cressman also put one over the fence, her second of the day, with two runners on base. After two innings played Messiah had a dominating 10-0 lead. One more run came in the third inning as Anders double to left field for the RBI and Messiah's final run came in the fourth inning when Sarah Chen got her first collegiate hit and RBI for the Falcons.
 
The great thing about today's game is that a lot of players had the opportunity to enter including senior Alyssa Hamilton who got a solid triple in the fourth inning and Amanda Petersen who hit a single.
 
Defensively the Falcons were solid and did not commit any errors and it was a quick game as the Mustangs didn't score and the five-inning mercy rule was enforced.