GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Messiah softball team split a home doubleheader opposite Widener University, edging the Pride in Game One, 5-4, and dropping Game Two in eight innings, 2-1. Madison Walter shined in the circle for the Falcons in the opening game, pitching a complete game behind 11 strikeouts as Olivia Denmark went 3-for-3 at the dish.

Sarah Lippin provided the pivotal run-scoring hit in the bottom of the six inning in Game One, plating the go-ahead run with an RBI-single to center field to break a 4-4 tie. 

With the doubleheader split, the Falcons overall record now stands at 16-10 (6-2 MAC Commonwealth).
 
Game One – Messiah defeats Widener – 5-4
The Pride threatened to score first, putting runners on the corners in the top of the first inning with a single and a wild pitch after a strikeout, but Messiah got out of the jam with a pop up. The Falcons quickly responded with three runs in the bottom of the first to take an early lead. A leadoff walk and a bunt single put runners on second and third for the Falcons. A squeeze bunt by McKenzie Shannon allowed Kyley Mellage to slide in just ahead of the catcher's tag for the first run of the day.
 
Olivia Denmark followed with a two-run single to right field, pushing Messiah's lead to three in the bottom of the first.
 
After a quiet second inning, Messiah plated an insurance run in the third thanks to an error on the centerfielder. McKenzie Shannon beat out an infield single to second with one out to get the rally going. Olivia Denmark then knocked her second hit of the day, dropping a single into centerfield. The Pride's centerfielder was unable to handle the single and Shannon hustled all the way around to score and give Messiah a 4-0 lead after three frames.
 
Widener started chipping away at the Messiah lead with three runs across the fourth and fifth innings. A single to center scored the first Widener run of the afternoon in the fourth before two fifth inning runs pulled the Pride within one at 4-3. After Messiah could not capitalize on a two-out triple from Olivia Denmark in the bottom of the fifth, Widener went back to work, tying the game with a sacrifice fly in the sixth at 4-4.
 
Messiah responded by scoring the eventually game-winning run in the bottom of the stanza on a key two-out single from Sarah Lippin to centerfield. The hit drove home Jaden Keister, who reached on an infield single with one out earlier in the inning.
 
Holding the lead once again, Madison Walter gave the Pride no chance to come back, turning away Widener in order in the seventh. She punctuated her 11-strikeout performance with two in the final frame, including a looking strikeout to end the game and give Messiah the 5-4 victory in Game One.
 
Walter earned her eighth victory of the season, tossing a complete game while allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits and one walk.
 
Olivia Denmark led the Falcons offense with a 3-3 effort with a triple and a pair of RBI.

Game Two – Widener defeats Messiah, 2-1
The second game of the doubleheader proved to be a pitcher's duel between Messiah's Lydia Collison and Widener's Liv Renavitz.
 
Collison pitched well for the Falcons, pitching eight innings, allowing just two runs on five hits while striking out seven batters.
 
The game was in a stalemate until the top of the seventh inning when Widener plated the game's first run, taking a late 1-0 edge over Messiah. Renavitz helped her own cause, providing the go-ahead RBI on a single to right field. Collison worked out of the inning without allowing more runs to score as Messiah trailed, 1-0, entering the bottom of the seventh inning.
 
The Falcons rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning to level the score at 1-1. Hannah Dyer led off the frame with a triple to the right-center field gap, representing the tying run. Denmark was then intentionally walked to put runners on the corners. Denmark, reaching base for the fifth time of the doubleheader, stole second to base to putt two runners in scoring position with no outs. Ali Wagner provided the game-tying hit, a bloop single to right field to score Dyer. Messiah had a chance to win it in the bottom of the seventh inning, loading the bases for Lippin, who ultimately grounded out to shortstop to end the inning. The two sides, level at 1-1, were headed for extra innings.
 
Widener did not take long to reclaim its lead, plating a run in the top of the eighth inning. The Pride manufactured the run, using two sacrifice at-bats and an RBI-groundout to go ahead, 2-1.
 
Messiah threatened to tie the game again in the bottom half of the frame, putting runners on first and second following a leadoff single from Joy Hedrick and a hit-by-pitch from Dyer. Denmark struck out as Jaden Keister lined out to right field to end the game. Widener's right fielder made a phenomenal defensive play, diving forward to grab the game-winning catch.
 
The Falcons dropped Game Two, 2-1.

What's Next
The Falcons have a quick turnaround, hosting Dickinson College for a non-conference doubleheader at 12:00 p.m.