WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Messiah softball team dropped a pair of 4-3 contests on Sunday in Winter Haven Fla. In an early morning game, Messiah fell 4-3 against Cabrini and then dropped an extra-inning decision against Milwaukee School of Engineering by a 4-3 final in eight innings.
 
The Falcons finished their weekend with a 2-2 record after sweeping a doubleheader against Neumann on Saturday by scores of 10-0 and 15-0. Elianna Litwin led the Falcons on the day with a combined 4-6 effort at the dish, driving home two runs against Cabrini.
 
Messiah will be back in action on Friday when they travel to Fayetteville, N.C. to take on Methodist for a doubleheader beginning at 12:00 p.m.
 
Cabrini defeats Messiah – 4-3
Messiah jumped on the board in the top of the first inning after Alexa Burger walked to lead off the game. She would come around to score later in the inning after a stolen base and an error, bringing home an unearned run. That 1-0 Messiah lead would hold until the bottom of the second when the Cavaliers tied the game on a first-and-third play. Stolen bases would be credited and Cabrini leveled the game at 1-1.
 
After a three-up, three-down top of the third for Messiah, the Cavaliers scored three runs in the bottom of the frame to take a 4-1 lead. Cabrini collected two hits in the inning and scored their runs on a passed ball, an RBI single, and an error.
 
Messiah scored a single run in both the fourth and sixth innings, but stranded the tying run at third base in the top of the seventh as Cabrini held on for the 4-3 victory. Elianna Litwin drove home Hannah Dyer in the fourth with an RBI double to left center and it was Litwin again in the sixth brining home Mackenzie Shannon in the sixth with a single to left field.
 
Kelli Durbin tossed the first 2.1 innings for the Falcons, allowing four runs (three earned) while striking out three. Maggie Chinnadurai came on in relief and threw 3.2 scoreless innings while allowing two hits and striking out four.
 
Cabrini's Avery Brynes twirled a complete game, earning the victory with six strikeouts while allowing three runs (two earned).
 
Milwaukee School of Engineering defeats Messiah – 4-3 (8 innings)
Later in the morning, the Falcons suffered their second-straight 4-3 defeats, falling to the MSOE Raiders in eight innings. Playing as the home team, Messiah fell into an early 3-0 hole after allowing three unearned runs in the top of the first.
 
Messiah got on the board in the bottom of the fourth with a two-out RBI single from Alexa Burger driving home Jayden Keister. The Falcons left the bases loaded in the frame when a fly out to centerfield ended the frame. After a scoreless third, Messiah put two more runs on the board with an RBI double to left-center by Kyley Mellage. The double drove home Ali Wagner and Rebekah Wiley, tying the game at 3-3.
 
Messiah had action on the bases in the fifth, sixth, and seventh, but could not push across a run. As a result, the game turned to extra innings. In the top of the eighth, the Raiders scored their first run since the first inning, scoring on a bases loaded sacrifice fly to center. Now trailing 4-3, Messiah bunted the international tie-breaking runner over to third to begin the inning, but Paige Eakes was stranded on third after a pop out to second and a line out to first ended the game.
 
Maggie Chinnadurai took the loss in relief, pitching 1.1 innings and allowing one hit, one walk, and one run. Lydia Collison tossed 6.2 innings allowing seven hits and three unearned runs.
 
What's Up Next
The Falcons are back on the road next weekend when they head to North Carolina to take on Methodist in a Friday doubleheader before squaring off with Meredith and Bethany in a split-doubleheader on Saturday.