YORK, Pa. - The Falcons defeated in the Spartans in game one of the doubleheader with a 4-0 lead by the end of the fourth inning. York fought back in the bottom of the sixth inning but Messiah stopped the run to hold on and take the 4-2 victory.
Haylee Anders led the way in game one with two hits and two RBI's. Madelynn Yannetti earned the win after pitching all seven innings with seven strikeouts through 24 at bats.
In game two, both teams were scoreless until Messiah struck first in the top of the sixth with two runs. York answered right back with four runs in the bottom half of the sixth. The late push from the Spartans was too much for Messiah as they fell 4-2 to split the day with the Spartans.
Messiah Defeats York 4-2
The Falcons wasted no time in the first inning. After
Ashley Carroll was hit by a pitch,
Haylee Anders laid down a sacrifice bunt to move her to second. With Carroll now on second,
McKenzie Tebbs knocked an RBI double to right field to give Messiah a 1-0 lead. Later in the inning,
Jaelynn Harbold brought Tebbs home with an RBI double of her own with this one going down the left field line, giving the Falcons a 2-0 lead over the Spartans.
The Spartans attempted to answer right back in the bottom of the first inning after recording a single tto shortstop to start the inning. The runner advanced to second after a sacrifice groundout and later moved to to third after a foul out. Madelynn Yannetti kept the impending run at bay after striking out a Spartan to end the inning.
Messiah didn't slow down in the top of the second inning after
Karlee Stocksdale tripled to left center to get things started.
Haylee Anders brought Stocksdale home with the third RBI double of the game to give Messiah the 3-0 lead.
After a single and a fielder's choice ball, Madelynn Yannetti shut down another Spartan with a strikeout to end the inning with one runner left on base.
In the top of the third inning,
Erin Cressman hit a double to right center but was left on base after a ground out and two-straight strikeouts moved the game to the bottom of the third.
York had two runners on base after a walk and a fielder's choice ball but two pop ups and a groundout ended the inning.
Messiah started the fourth inning with Rianna Trexler reaching first after an error by the short stop.
Karlee Stocksdale moved Trexler over with a sacrifice ground out to the first basemen. Trexler was later moved to third after
Ashley Carroll grounded out to first.
Haylee Anders came through in the next at-bat with an RBI single to left field to give the Falcons a 4-0 lead over York.
The Spartans didn't respond until the bottom of the sixth. York started the inning with a single to left field and they followed it up with a two-run home run over the right field fence, cutting the Falcons lead in half at 4-2.
York kept the Falcons scoreless in the top of the seventh, stranding
Erin Cressman at first after she knocked a single through the left side. The Spartans failed to complete the comeback in the bottom of the seventh after Yannetti struck out two batters and a Spartan flied out to center.
York Defeats Messiah 4-2
The second game of the day played out much differently than the first game of the doubleheader. The teams shared a total of three hits prior to the sixth inning with Sam Fouracre hitting a double to left center in the top of the second,
Haylee Anders hitting a double to left center in the top of the third, and the Spartans' Julie Van O'Linda hitting a single to third base in the bottom of the third.
The real action of game two started in the top of the sixth inning with
McKenzie Tebbs starting the rally for the Falcons. Tebbs hit a single to left field and later advanced to second base after a single from
Erin Cressman. Sam Fouracre recorded her second hit of the day with an RBI single down the left field line to bring Tebbs home and give Messiah a 1-0 lead. Amanda Peterson reached on a fielder's choice that brought
Erin Cressman home to give Messiah the 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth inning.
The Spartans responded right back with a rally of their own. After two walks started the inning, the Falcons found their self in a jam. Madelynn Yannetti came in to pitch for
Rebekah Pais but the Spartans were ready to go. A single to third base loaded the bases with no outs and an RBI single to center field brought in the Spartans' first run of the game. York kept things going with another RBI single to center field to tie the game. The third RBI single of the game gave the Spartans a 3-2 lead and they later hit an RBI sacrifice bunt to take a 4-2 lead over the Falcons.
Messiah couldn't responded in the top of the seventh, bringing the game to a close after a fly out, a pop out and a ground out gave York the 4-2 victory after a late comeback.
What's Up Next
The Falcons resume conference play on Saturday when they travel to Alvernia University to take on the Golden Wolves in a double header starting at 1:00pm.
