CLERMONT, Fla. – The Messiah softball team split its two games in the first day of its spring break schedule on Monday afternoon at Legends Way Ballfields in Clermont, Fla. The Falcons edged Haverford College, 2-1, and dropped their second game to Muskingum University, 5-1.
 
Lydia Collison pitched a stellar game against Haverford, going 5.1 innings and earning the win as Madison Walter nailed down the save. Hannah Dyer registered the only multi-hit performance of the day for Messiah in the win over the Fords. The first-year infielder has now hit safely in all six of the Falcons' 2022 contests.
 
Game One – Messiah 2, Haverford 1
The Falcons took the field for Game One of their spring break against Haverford on Monday morning. Messiah was the away team, being retired in order in the top of the first inning. Lydia Collison was in the circle for the Falcons, making her third start of the season. Despite the Fords jumping out early with a sacrifice fly RBI in the bottom of the first, the sophomore pitcher tossed 5.1 strong innings, striking four batters.
 
Messiah had a sluggish start offensively due to strong Haverford pitching. The Fords' starter, Maya Casey, pitched a complete game, allowing just one earned run on five hits. Casey sat down Messiah's first 10 batters of the game before Kyley Mellage issued the Falcons' first hit, a single through the right side in the top of the fourth inning. Hannah Dyer followed with a single, putting runners on first and third base with just one out. The Falcons threatened but came up empty-handed after Olivia Denmark went down swinging and Collison popped up to second base.
 
Trailing, 1-0, Tessa Spinosa and Dyer made a phenomenal defensive play to keep Messiah within a one-run deficit. With two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning, Spinosa fired down to Dyer on a stolen base attempt. Spinosa's throw was slightly behind Dyer, but the shortstop made an acrobatic play to tag the runner out, ending the inning.
 
The Falcons carried the momentum into the top of the fifth inning, taking the lead on an RBI-single from Ali Wagner, her first-career hit. Messiah flipped the script, leading 2-1 with just nine outs to get.
 
Madison Walter made her first relief appearance of the season, coming into the game in the bottom of the sixth inning with runners on second and third. Walter needed two outs to get out the jam, inducing a strikeout and a groundout in her first two batters to escape and preserve the Messiah lead.
 
Walter shut the door in the bottom of the seventh inning, registering her second strikeout of the game as the Falcons prevailed in narrow fashion over the Fords, 2-1.
 
Collison earned her third win of the season (3-0) as Walter recorded her first save of the season. Dyer had a strong offensive game, recording the Falcons only multi-hit performance (2-for-3), her first multi-hit game of her career. Messiah played a clean defensive game, recording zero errors in the victory.
 
Game Two – Muskingum 5, Messiah 1
Messiah faced a formidable opponent in the second contest, sizing up with reigning Ohio Athletic Conference champions Muskingum University. Walter made the start as the Falcons fell in an immediate 1-0 hole after an RBI-double.
 
Messiah's offense could not seem to get going in the opening first three innings despite having a runner reach base on each of the three frames. Offensively, Messiah garnered just three hits in the game as Dyer, McKenzie Shannon, and Alexa Burger all hit safely. Burger supplied the lone run-scoring hit, a scorching double to deep right-center field in the bottom of the fifth inning to plate Wagner. The Falcons would go down quietly in the sixth and seventh innings as Muskingum claimed a 5-1 decision.
 
The Falcons made two defensive errors in the contest, leading to two unearned runs. Muskingum's big offensive inning occurred in the top of the third inning, registering a run on three hits. In the inning, a bizarre play involving the umpire colliding with Burger kept the inning alive for the Muskies.

In addition to Burger's RBI-double, Maggie Chinnadurai had a highlight performance. Chinnadurai relieved Walter in the circle to begin the fifth inning, pitching three scoreless innings in her first collegiate pitching outing. The first-year pitcher faced a total of 11 batters, allowing just two hits while striking out two batters. 
 
After splitting the two contests on Monday, Messiah's 2022 overall record stands at 4-2.
 
What's Next
The Falcons continue play at the Spring Games in Clermont, Fla., tomorrow, March 8. Messiah takes on Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at 3:15 p.m. and Alfred University at 5:30 p.m.