ANNVILLE, Pa. - Messiah softball scored five runs in the fifth and sixth innings to rally from a two-run deficit and defeat 3-seed Lebanon Valley College 5-2 in their MAC Commonwealth Championships opener. The second-seeded Falcons now play No. 1 seed Arcadia University tomorrow morning at 11:00 a.m.

Messiah's first opportunity to score came in the bottom of the second inning when they managed to load the bases but Lebanon Valley's defense made the final out when Erin Cressman hit a fly ball out to right field that was caught. It was a pitching duel for the next couple innings as both teams struggled to put some hits together but the Dutchmen broke through in the top of the fifth when Jen Kaufman hit a single to center field to score two runs.

After being shut out over the first four innings, the Falcons responded and got on the board in a big way as Madelyn Yannetti led off the inning with a solo homer to left. After an out, Erin Cressman singled and scored on Ashley Carroll's triple to tie the game at two. Haylee Anders followed with a single to score Carroll and give the Falcons a 3-2 lead.

Messiah added a couple insurance runs in the sixth inning when Erin Cressman blasted a two-run shot over the fence in left to give Messiah a 5-2 advantage. Lebanon Valley put together a seventh inning rally but pitcher Carrie Fix and the defense stay composed and didn't allow an runners to score. Fix improved to 10-6 on the year and Cressman, Anders, and Samantha Esper all led the team with two hits each.