GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Messiah University softball team split a conference doubleheader with Alvernia University at Starry Softball Field on Sunday afternoon. The Falcons topped the Golden Wolves in Game One, 3-1, and fell in a nine-inning contest in Game Two, 4-2.
Despite losing Game Two,
Maggie Chinnadurai issued a career-high nine strikeouts and
McKenzie Shannon launched her team-leading sixth homerun of the season.
After the doubleheader split, Messiah's overall record stands at 22-9 (8-2 MAC Commonwealth).
Game One – Messiah 3, Alvernia 1
The Falcons took game one behind a nine-hit performance. Messiah scored a run in each of the first three innings, proving to be enough to win their ninth-straight game.
Elianna Litwin provided the big run-scoring knock in the game for the Falcons, an RBI-double down the left field line to plate
Hannah Dyer. With the game-tying double, Litwin continued her hot hitting at the plate, tallying her team-leading 31st RBI.
Lydia Collison was in the circle for Game One, pitching all seven innings while striking out five batters to earn her 13th victory of the season. Collison allowed a run on two hits in the first inning but settled in after that, allowing just two hits in the following six innings.
Kyley Mellage, Dyer and
Rebekah Wiley all recorded two-hit performances in the Game One win as Wiley (bases-loaded walk) and
Allie Book (RBI-groundout) notched the Falcons' two other RBI. Litwin's RBI-double was the only extra-base hit of the contest between the two sides.
Game Two – Alvernia 4, Messiah 2 (9 inn.)
Messiah continued its momentum in Game Two, plating a run in the bottom of the first inning to grab an early 1-0 edge. Shannon was the leadoff batter for the Falcons and promptly deposited a ball over the left field fence, the junior catcher's team-leading sixth homerun of the season. The Falcons added another run in the bottom of the third inning when Litwin tallied her second RBI of the doubleheader off a single to center field to score
Joy Hedrick. At the end of three frames, Messiah led the Golden Wolves, 2-0.
Chinnadurai made the Game Two start for the Falcons and contributed a stellar performance. The sophomore pitcher kept the Alvernia offense silent until the seventh inning. The Golden Wolves relied on timely hitting to tie the game at 2-2, highlighted by a two-out, game-tying two-run homerun from Kirschner.
After a scoreless eighth inning, Bunnell broke the tie with a two-run single off Chinnadurai to give Alvernia a 4-2 lead. The Golden Wolves had the momentum and promptly retired the Falcons' lineup in order in the bottom half of the inning to earn the two-run win in Game Two.
Shannon, Litwin, Dyer,
Paige Eakes, and
Brielle Rosario all hit safely in the Game Two loss. Litwin recorded the contest's only multi-hit performance with an RBI-single in the third inning and a double in the fifth frame.
What's Next
Messiah (22-9, 8-2 MAC Commonwealth) returns to action this Wednesday, Apr. 19, at Hood College for a conference doubleheader beginning at 3:00 p.m.
