GRANTHAM, Pa. - The Messiah softball team split a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon with the visiting Arcadia Knights. The Falcons won Game One by a 4-1 final score, but were bested in the nightcap, 10-1. Highlighting the day was a stellar pitching performance from Madison Walter and a two-run homer by Isabel Seise on senior day in Game One.
 
Walter tossed a completed game, allowing four hits and one run while striking out eight and walking none. Seise provided the offense, knocking a two-run homer to right field in the bottom of the fourth to give the Falcons a little cushion at 4-1.
 
The Falcons move to 10-8 overall with the non-conference doubleheader split. The Falcons will travel to Misericordia on Sunday afternoon for a single game against the Cougars beginning at 1:00 p.m.
 
Game One
Messiah quickly jumped to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first against Arcadia starter Kylee Schwind. Schwind struggled to find the zone early, walking the first two batters before Paige Eakes laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third before Brynne Baker hit a sacrifice fly to plate McKenzie Shannon and make it 1-0. 

The Falcons scored another run in the bottom of the third when Shannon singled and advanced to second on a ball in the dirt. This allowed Elianna Litwin to lift a ball into right field for an RBI single to make it 2-0. This was all that Madison Walter would need as the junior continued to be brilliant in the circle for Messiah, striking out eight in her complete game outing. 

Messiah would tack on two more runs in the bottom of the fourth on an Isabel Seise homerun, after Baker reached on an error, to give the Falcons a 4-1 lead. This lead would hold as the Falcons claimed their 10th victory of the season. Walter won her sixth game of the year as her earned run average sits at an impressive 1.26 to go along with 66 strikeouts.

Game Two
The Knights got off to a fast start in game two, beginning with the first batter of the game. Alex Destefano bunted and forced a poor throw from Brynne Baker to allow her to advance to second. She would eventually come in to score and make it 1-0. They would add four more runs in the next two innings to take a commanding 5-0 lead in the third inning.

Messiah picked up their only run of the game with a two-out rally. Isabel Seise worked a walk before Olivia Denmark hit a single up the middle. Karlee Stocksdale than lifted a ball into right field where Arcadia wasn't able to handle it and allowed Seise to score and make it 5-1. The Knights picked up five more runs over the final three innings to claim a 10-1 victory in the second game of the doubleheader.

What's Up Next
With the doubleheader split, the Falcons move to 10-8 overall on the season. They will take on their second consecutive MAC Freedom opponent tomorrow afternoon when they travel to Dallas, Pa. for a single game at Misericordia University.

Messiah is set to finish the regular season in Grantham on Tuesday afternoon when they host the Lebanon Valley College Dutchmen at 3:00 and 5:00 p.m.