ST. DAVIDS, Pa. - The Messiah softball team picked up a pair of victories on Wednesday afternoon, winning Game One, 7-0, and taking Game Two, 9-7, in extra innings. The Falcons jumped on the Eagles early in Game One with two runs in both the first and second innings to earn the shutout victory. In Game Two, the Falcons held a late 7-3 lead, but Eastern rallied back to tie things up and force extras.
After a scoreless eighth, Messiah plated two runs in the top of the ninth on RBI singles by Elena
Rosas and Sarah
Lippin to earn the 9-7 victory.
Madison Walter shined in the circle for the Falcons, pitching a combined 11 innings between the two games. Walter was credited with wins in both games, improving her season record to 5-3.
Game One
Messiah's offense got going early, crossing four runs across the plate in the opening two frames.
McKenzie Shannon doubled to left center to score
Elianna Litwin, as
Olivia Denmark singled to double the Falcons' lead (2-0). Messiah took advantage of two Eastern errors in the second inning to build its lead to 5-0.
Joy Hedrick touched the plate on a throwing error, as a Litwin RBI-groundout plated
Karlee Stocksdale.
Madison Walter pitched a gem for Messiah, tossing her sixth complete the game of the season. The junior pitcher fanned six Eagles, upping her season total to 58. Walter did not allow a run, recording her third shutout of the 2021 campaign.
The Falcons tacked on an insurance runs in the third and fourth innings, increasing their lead to 7-0. Messiah scored its run in the form of a sacrifice fly from Stocksdale, scoring
Isabel Seise. The sacrifice fly was Stockdale's third RBI of the season. The Falcons pounced on more defensive miscues from the Eagles in the fourth inning, as Denmark reached first on a throwing error, prompting Shannon to score Messiah's sixth run. Rosas tacked on the seventh run of the game, scoring Seise on a single to right center.
Messiah held on to win 5-0 behind Walter's strong pitching outing. With the Game One victory, the Falcons recorded 21-consecutive scoreless innings opposite Eastern during the 2021 season. Denmark and Seise each recorded multi-hit games for the Falcons, as five different players notched RBI.
Game Two
The Falcons looked to complete the season sweep of Eastern heading into the second game of the doubleheader. The bats came alive early, as Messiah scored a commanding five runs in the top of the first inning. Rosas provided the big knock, a two-run shot to center field to give the Falcons a 5-0 lead. Seise, Hedrick, and Stocksdale and contributed run-scoring hits earlier in the inning. Hedrick, with a double to left field, recorded her first-career RBI as a member of the Messiah softball team.
Leading, 5-0, Messiah trotted out
Madison Peters for her fifth appearance of the season. The freshman pitcher provided three strong innings, striking out a batter to increase her season total to eight.
Shannon crushed her second home run of the season in the top of the second, a solo shot to increase Messiah's lead, 6-2. Hedrick tallied her second RBI of the game with a single to right center, plating Seise to build the advantage to 7-2.
Eastern climbed its way back into the contest, scoring a run in the third inning, and tying the game with a four-run sixth inning. Both sides were scoreless during the seventh frame, forcing extra innings. The contest remained scoreless until the top of the ninth inning, when Rosas provided the go-ahead RBI-single to center field.
Sarah Lippin followed with an RBI knock of her own, giving Messiah a 9-7 edge. Walter, who pitched the final four innings for the Falcons after earning the Game One victory, closed the door on the Eagles in the bottom of the ninth.
Walter was granted the win in Game Two as well, improving her season record to 5-3.
In the Game Two victory, seven Falcons hit safely. Stocksdale recorded a 3-for-5 performance at the dish, as Rosas tallied a game-high three RBI. In the two games combined, Siese went 4-for-9, scoring five runs.
With the victories, the Falcons move their record back to .500 in the MAC Commonwealth at 6-6 and currently sit at 9-7 overall. The Falcons are currently in a tie for fourth place in the conference.
What's Next
Messiah will be back in action on Saturday, Apr. 17, when they travel to Annville, Pa., to take on the Lebanon Valley Dutchmen in a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m.
