FREDERICKSBURG, Va. - The Messiah softball team dropped both games of their doubleheader Saturday afternoon at the University of Mary Washington 6-3 and 10-2.
The Falcons took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth inning in game one thanks to three hits and the help of an Eagle error. Messiah would hold onto this lead before Mary Washington grabbed the lead in the bottom of the sixth with four runs and ultimately hold on for the 6-3 victory.
The Falcons were led by senior
Jaelynn Harbold, who had two runs batted in, getting a hit and picking up a sacrifice fly. Messiah was held to just four hits in the game while the Eagles had 10.
In the second game of the afternoon, Messiah fell to the Eagles 10-2 in five innings. Messiah took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third, thanks to an
Abigail Bartels single and RBI before Bartels would come around to score herself.
Mary Washington would then score six in the bottom half of the third before tacking on four more in the bottom of the fifth to complete the run-rule and earn the 10-2 victory.
This loss drops Messiah to 0-4 to begin the season, as they will be back in action next Saturday when they travel to Catholic University for a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m.
Game 1, Mary Washington Defeats Messiah 6-3
Messiah got on the board first against the Eagles, scoring in the top of the second inning thanks to strong base running from freshman
Jordan Holman. Holman led the inning off with a single before stealing her first base as a Falcon to put her in scoring position. She advanced to third on a passed ball before scoring on a
Jaelynn Harbold sacrifice fly.
Mary Washington would then tally a single run in the next two innings to take a 2-1 lead into the top of the fourth. This is when Messiah used an
Abigail Bartels double and an Eagle error to help make it 2-2. Then with
Brynne Baker on third and two outs,
Jaelynn Harbold came through again for Messiah with a clutch two out single to give the Falcons a 3-2 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth.
This lead would hold until the bottom of the sixth. Mary Washington got four hits and took advantage of a Messiah miscue to score four runs and take a 6-3 lead. Messiah was not able to make the comeback in the top of the seventh and fell 6-3.
Game 2, Mary Washington Defeats Messiah 10-2
As mentioned, the Falcons jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning in game two.
McKenzie Tebbs singled and advanced to second on a fielder's choice before a Bartels single scored Tebbs. Bartels would then score herself. The Eagles then seized the momentum in the bottom of the third inning, scoring six runs on three hits and a Falcon error.
Mary Washington ended the game with four runs in the bottom of the fifth, using three hits to fuel the inning and take game two 10-2.
What's Up Next
As mentioned, Messiah falls to 0-4 on the season after the pair of losses. They will be back on the field next weekend when they travel to Washington, D.C. to face off with the Catholic University Cardinals in a doubleheader at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
