GRANTHAM, Pa. – The No. 4 Messiah softball team is gearing up to compete in its 15th-ever Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Commonwealth Championship series in program history. After sweeping the top-seeded Alvernia University Golden Wolves on Saturday (2-0, 5-2), the Falcons are poised to clash with the No. 3 York College (Pa.) Spartans in York, Pa., on Saturday afternoon.
The series is a best-of-three competition, with Games One (1:00 p.m.) and Two (3:00 p.m.) taking place on the road at Spartan Stadium. If necessary, a decisive Game Three will take place at Starry Softball Field to determine who will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
See below for a quick preview of the Conference Championship matchup:
No. 4 Messiah University Falcons – 16-10 Overall, 8-6 MAC Commonwealth
The Falcons are riding high heading into the conference championship series. Reaching its seventh MAC Commonwealth Championship series in the past twelve seasons, Messiah conquered the No. 1 Golden Wolves on Saturday, trailing for just three of the 14 total innings of the doubleheader. The 2021 Falcons are 4-1 in postseason play, taking advantage of stellar pitching performances from
Madison Walter.
Walter, a four-time and reigning MAC Commonwealth Pitcher of the Week, tossed 10.1 innings in the Semifinals-clinching sweep, allowing just four hits while striking out 13 batters. In Game One, Walter pitched a one-hit shutout, earning her team-leading 13th complete game of the season. Throughout the postseason, Walter has twirled a total of 32.1 innings, allowing an incredible zero earned runs.
Offensively,
Elena Rosas was the star of the day for the Falcons. Rosas provided a perfect 3-for-3 performance at the dish in Game Two, sealing the series sweep with two home runs, tallying a career-high four RBI. Throughout the doubleheader, the junior designated hitter recorded five RBI to propel Messiah to the championship series.
The Falcons face a formidable foe this weekend, dropping all four contests of the season opposite the Spartans (Mar. 20-21).
No. 3 York College (Pa.) Spartans – 16-9 Overall, 11-5 MAC Commonwealth
York enters the MAC Commonwealth Championship series with a 4-1 postseason record. The Spartans topped No. 6 Widener University in a decisive Game Three (May 2), 3-1, before besting No. 2 Lebanon Valley (15-4, 6-0) on the road on May 8 to advance to the championship. The Spartans outscored the Dutchmen 21-4 during the Semifinals doubleheader-sweep.
As a team, York slugs at a conference-high .441% clip. Junior shortstop Alyssa Harhigh is a team-leader in numerous offensive categories, leading the Spartans in batting average (.554), hits (46), RBI (35), home runs (4), and runs scored (28). Harhigh leads the MAC Commonwealth in all of the previously mentioned categories except hits (48) and runs scored (40). The reigning MAC Commonwealth Softball Player of the Week went 6-for-7 in the doubleheader sweep over Lebanon Valley. With three doubles and two home runs across the two victories, Harhigh contributed a total of nine RBI.
Senior pitcher Shyla Pastore has tossed the most innings (65.0) in the circle for York. Tossing a complete-game shutout (6-0) in a Game Two win over the Dutchmen on Saturday, Pastore leads the Spartans in wins with eight. Junior pitcher Taylor Lindsay has made pitching contributions for York as well, leading the team in ERA with a 1.78 mark, ranked third in the conference. The Spartans hosted Messiah in their season-opener on Mar. 20 as Lindsay tossed eight scoreless innings, allowing just four hits while striking out 13 batters.
Tournament History
The Falcons are seeking their 10th MAC Championship in program history, sporting a 26-17 all-time record against York. Messiah has an all-time record of 45-24 in the MAC Commonwealth Tournament, going 10-7 in championship games. Saturday's conference championship doubleheader will be the first time in MAC Commonwealth Tournament history in which the two sides have clashed. Of Messiah softball's nine total MAC Championships, head coach
Amy Weaver has been at the helm for eight of them, the most in program history.
