NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - No. 1 Christopher Newport scored three runs in the first inning en route to a 5-0 shutout of Messiah University on Saturday. The loss for the Falcons followed Friday night's 3-0 win over Hunter College, and moved Messiah in an elimination game against Wilson College on Saturday evening. Thanks to a two-run double from Jaden Keister in the sixth inning, Messiah pulled out a 3-2 victory over Wilson to eliminate the Phoenix and advance to Sunday's Regional Final.

Messiah will take on Christopher Newport in the Regional Final, needing a pair of victories on Sunday to knockout the No. 1 team in the country and punch their ticket to next weekend's Super Regional. Game One of the Regional Final will begin at 12:00 p.m. in Newport News, Va.
 
Game One - Christopher Newport defeats Messiah - 5-0
Playing as the visiting team, Christopher Newport jumped all over the Falcons with four-straight singles to open the game and take a 1-0 lead. Katie Currin knocked the fourth of those four hits to drive home the first run of the game and leave the bases loaded with no outs. After a strikeout, Brooke Greaver lined a two-run single up the middle to give the Captains a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Messiah did get out of the inning without further damage thanks to a comebacker to Walter and a strikeout to end the frame.
 
Messiah went down in order in the first two frames before Lydia Collison singled up the middle with one out in the third. She was stranded on second after a sacrifice bunt moved her over.
 
In the fifth, the Captains' Bailey Roberts hammered a solo home run, pushing their lead to four at 4-0. Christopher Newport scored their fifth and final run in the top of the seventh when a leadoff walk came around to score on a double from Kaitlyn Hasty.
 
Elianna Litwin delivered the only other Messiah hit in the contest with a base-hit to left field in the bottom of the fifth.

Game Two - Messiah defeats Wilson - 3-2
Needing a win to keep their season alive, Messiah claimed a tight 3-2 victory over the Wilson Phoenix in the nightcap on Saturday. Messiah's starter Lydia Collison and Wilson's Megan Potter traded zeros for the first three frames on Saturday evening. Potter had tossed back-to-back complete games, including a 2-0 victory over Hunter less than an hour before the elimination game with the Falcons.
 
Messiah was first on the board in the top of the fourth when McKenzie Shannon knocked a solo home run over the left field wall. The solo shot was her third of the season and gave Messiah a shot of life midway through the game.
 
Wilson responded with a pair of runs in the fifth inning. After an error put the leadoff runner on, a sacrifice bunt moved the tying run into scoring position. A double from Jessica Kosh into centerfield tied the game. Kosh cruised into third on the throw home and would come around to score on a groundout to first. The two runs gave Wilson the lead at 2-1 heading to the sixth.
 
Like the Phoenix in the fifth, Messiah took advantage of errors in the sixth to take the lead back. After two quick outs to begin the frame, McKenzie Shannon and Olivia Denmark both reached on errors from the left-side of the infield. That was the spark the Falcons needed, Jaden Keister ripped a two-run double to left that gave Messiah the lead back at 3-2.
 
Madison Walter came in for the final two frames, allowing one hit and striking out four to earn the win and advance Messiah into the Regional Final.
 
What's Up Next
With their victory over Wilson, Messiah advances to the Regional Final where they will need to beat Christopher Newport twice on Sunday to move through the Regional and into the Super Regional next weekend. The Falcons and Captains will square off on Sunday afternoon at 12:00 p.m. Should the Falcons win Game One tomorrow, a winner-take-all Regional Final will follow immeditally after.