FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - The Falcons didn't wait long to get things started in their season opener, scoring four runs in the second inning. Kara Birosak hit a two RBI double to right center, scoring both Jaelynn Harbold and Kyra Bond. Later in the second inning, Ashley Carroll hit a RBI triple to bring Birosak home. Carroll wasn't on third base long as Erin Cressman singled down the right field line to bring Carroll home. After three quiet innings, the Falcons charged their way to an 11-1 lead and then went three up and three down to end the game. Joy Kolakowski pitched all six innings for the Falcons, striking out eight batters while allowing just one hit and one run all game. 

Game two was much like the first as the Falcons recorded four runs in the second inning and finished the game with 11 runs total. Madelyn Yannetti had an RBI double to left center to start the scoring. Ashley Caroll followed in pursuit with a two RBI single up the middle, scoring Karlee Stocksdale and Madelyn Yannetti. The Monarchs answered back in the third and the fifth, getting one run in the third and two runs in the fifth. Messiah poured it on in the sixth inning, turning a 5-3 into a 10-3 lead, highlighted by a two-run homer from Erin Cressman and a two RBI double to right field from Isabel Seise. Jaelynn Harbold recorded an RBI off a sacrifice fly ball to left field that brought Madelynn Yannetti home, scoring the Falcons' final run of the night to complete the sweep. Yannetti started in the circle for the Falcons, pitching six of the seven innings, recording five strike outs. Emily Albanese came in in the seventh to close out the night for Messiah.

Game One, Messiah 11, Methodist 1
Messiah struck early in game one as Jaelynn Harbold and Kyra Bond scored on Kara Birosak's RBI double in the second inning to give the Falcons a 2-0 lead. The Falcons kept things rolling with an RBI triple from Ashley Carroll and an RBI single down the right field line from Erin Cressman to take a 4-0 advantage. 

Methodist responded in the bottom of third, scoring off a sacrifice fly to center field to earn their lone run of the game. With one out, Joy Kolakowski struck out the Monarch's first batter but walked the next two. A single to left field advanced the runners to second and third before Bethany Junker recorded her RBI sacrifice fly to center field to earn the Monarch's only run in game one. 

After two scoreless innings, Messiah recorded seven runs off two hits and three errors in the top half of the sixth to take an 11-1 lead. Jaelynn Harbold opened up the inning for the Falcons with a single to center field. Kara Birosak followed that up by reaching first on a throwing error by the third basemen off a bunt. The error led to Harbold advancing to third and Birosak moving to second base before Karlee Stocksdale reached on a fielder's choice play that results in Harbold scoring. Ashley Carroll reached second on a fielding error that led to Birosak and Stocksdale both reaching the plate to give Messiah a 7-1 lead. After a pitching change for the Monarchs, Erin Cressman, Ashley Carroll, Haylee Anders, and Rianna Trexler all came across the plate to secure the Falcons' 11-1 lead over the Monarchs. 

Game Two, Messiah 11, Methodist 3
The second game of the day for the Falcons started out much like the first. Messiah started with four runs in the second inning off three hits and an error. Madelyn Yannetti got things going for Messiah with one out and a runner on first. Yannetti drilled an RBI double to left center to score Kara Birosak. Ashley Carroll brought home Karlee Stocksdale and Madelyn Yannetti after a single up the middle. Carroll advanced to second on her hit, beating the throw and moved to third moments later after a wild pitch. Caroll later scored off another wild pitch, giving Messiah the 4-0 lead at the end of the second inning. 

In the bottom of the third inning, Methodist answered with a two out RBI single up the middle to make it 4-1 in favor of Messiah. The Falcons had three hits in the fourth inning but left two runners on base after Erin Cressman drove in a run off an RBI single. 

The Falcons went one, two, three in the top of the fifth, recording three straight popups to end their half of the inning. Methodist capitalized on the quick half and scored two runs off of two hits and an error on Messiah to close the Falcons' lead to 5-3. 

Messiah responded in fashion in the sixth with a two-run homerun from Erin Cressman. Cressman's bomb went over the left field fence and brought home Karlee Stocksdale to make it 7-3 in favor of the Falcons. After Rianna Trexler hit a double to right center and Amanda Peterson walked, Isabel Seise knocked a two-run double to right field to expand Messiah's lead to 9-3. The Falcons recorded one more run in the sixth when Jordan Bailey came across the plate as Kara Birosak was thrown out at second base. In the seventh inning, Jaelynn Harbold recorded an RBI sacrifice fly to bring home Madelynn Yannetti to give the Falcons the eventual final score of 11-3. 

In the bottom of the seventh, the Monarchs had three-straight groundouts that brought the game to a close.

What's Up Next
The Falcons are now 2-0 on the season and will travel to Fredericksburg, Va. to take on the University of Mary Washington Eagles on Feb. 23 at 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.