GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Messiah University softball team (13-8, 3-1 MAC Commonwealth) split a home doubleheader against York College (Pa.) on Sunday afternoon at Starry Softball Field. The Falcons stole Game One in an eight-inning contest, winning 4-3 in walk-off fashion and narrowly dropped the second contest by a score of 5-4. Elianna Litwin totaled four RBI between the two games as McKenzie Shannon reached base five times (3 hits, 2 BB) on the afternoon.
 
Litwin, with her four RBI on the day, upped her season total to 19, a team-leading mark.

Lydia Collison earned the Game One win in the circle for Messiah, tossing eight strong innings to clinch her eighth victory of the season.
 
Game One – Messiah 4, York 3 (8 inn.)
Collison made the Game One start for the Falcons and turned in a strong pitching performance. The junior pitcher allowed just one hit in the first three innings of the contest, a solo shot in the top of the first to give the Spartans an early 1-0 edge. York tacked on another run in the top of the fifth inning, taking advantage of a wild pitch to plate its second run of the game to extend its lead to 2-0.
 
Messiah's offense remained quiet, totaling just two hits through five frames of play. The Falcons threatened in the bottom of the fifth inning after Paige Eakes led off the inning with a double to left-center field. With a runner in scoring position with no outs, Messiah was unable to score the run as the Spartans' Natalie Rietema worked out of the jam. Despite the Falcons' offense being silent, their plate discipline was excellent, working three walks and striking out just once in the first five innings.
 
The Falcons' offense finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring two runs to tie the game on three hits and an error from the York defense. Jaden Keister got things going with a leadoff, pinch-hit single, and was replaced on the base paths for the speedy Alexa Burger. McKenzie Shannon singled in the following at-bat, giving Messiah two baserunners with no outs. Burger was able to score on a double-steal, cutting the deficit to 2-1, while Hannah Dyer was at the plate on a throwing error from the catcher. With a runner on third and just one out, Elianna Litwin provided the game-tying knock, lacing a double down the left field line to tie the game at 2-2. Litwin was on second base, but Allie Book and Eakes were retired consecutively to end the inning.
 
Kyley Mellage singled in the bottom of the seventh inning, proving to be the winning run for the Falcons. In a quick turn of events, the Spartans defense was able to escape the jam with a lineout double play to first base. York had the momentum and used an RBI-triple from Alyssa Harhigh to take a 3-2 lead in the top of the eighth inning.
 
Despite trailing by a run entering the bottom half of the frame, the Messiah offense rallied to put pressure on the York defense. Shannon walked to represent the tying run, coming around to score three batters later on a clutch, two-out RBI-double off the bat of Book. The Falcons were able to plate the winning run one batter later on an error after Paige Eakes popped the ball up to second base. The York defense was unable to control the ball out of the air, allowing it drop and allowing Litwin to score the game-deciding run. The Falcons rallied from behind to steal Game One, 4-3.
 
In the Game One win, the Falcons totaled eight hits from six different contributors. Collison tossed eight superb innings to earn the win, striking out five batters to improve her pitching record to an impressive 8-1 on the season.
 
Game Two – York 5, Messiah 4
The Falcons continued their momentum from Game One into the second contest, grabbing an early lead with a two-run opening frame. Litwin supplied the big hit of the inning, a two-run triple down the left field line to plate Shannon and Rebekah Wiley for a 2-0 lead.
Maggie Chinnadurai made the Game Two start for Messiah and shut out the Spartans' offense in the first inning. York advanced a runner to second base with two outs, but Chinnadurai issued a strikeout to escape the jam.
 
York rallied in the top of the second inning to cut its deficit in half (2-1) behind two hits and an error from the Messiah defense. The Falcons answered with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning, taking advantage of a leadoff triple off the bat of Eakes. Eakes was able to score later in the inning from an RBI-groundout from Brielle Rosario, increasing Messiah's lead to 3-1.
 
The Spartans scored a pair of runs in each of the third and fourth innings to grab a two-run lead (5-3). York totaled seven hits across the two innings, recording three run-scoring knocks. The Falcons' offense was silenced in the bottom half of each of the run-scoring frames as Amanda Criss retired Messiah's batters in order.
 
Litwin earned her third RBI of the contest in the bottom of the sixth inning with a groundout to second base. Shannon ripped a one-out double to right-center field as Dyer followed with an infield single to set up the run-scoring opportunity for Litwin. Entering the seventh inning, Messiah trailed York narrowly, 5-4.
 
Despite putting a runner on first with two outs, the Falcons were unable to plate the tying run in the bottom of the seventh inning and dropped Game Two, 5-4. In the loss, Messiah totaled six hits from five different players.
 
Chinnaduarai was tagged with the loss, dropping her pitching record to 3-6 on the season.
 
What's Next
Messiah (13-8, 3-1 MAC Commonwealth) returns to the diamond this Tuesday, Mar. 28, when it hosts McDaniel College for a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 3:00 p.m.