GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Messiah University softball team issued a doubleheader sweep of visiting Stevenson University on Wednesday afternoon at Starry Softball Field. The Falcons bested the Mustangs in Game One, 7-3, and clinched the sweep in Game Two behind a three-hit, three-RBI performance from
Jaden Keister.
Both
Lydia Collison (Game One) and
Maggie Chinnadurai (Game Two) registered solid pitching performances, earning the win in each of their respective games.
McKenzie Shannon recorded two hits and three RBI in Game Two, including her eighth homerun of the season, tying Hood College's Jocelyn Pfleiger for the conference lead.
The doubleheader sweep improves Messiah's 2023 record to 27-10 (11-3 MAC Commonwealth).
Game One – Messiah 7, Stevenson 3
Collison, making her 19th start of the season, blanked the Mustangs in the opening frame of the contest. The junior pitcher allowed a runner to reach third with just one out before issuing back-to-back strikeouts to escape the jam. The Falcons jumped ahead in the bottom half of the inning, plating two runs on a two-run double from Litwin. Messiah did well to have patient at-bats during the inning as
Kyley Mellage,
McKenzie Shannon, and
Allie Book all worked walks. At the end of one inning, the Falcons led, 1-0.
The second frame was scoreless before Messiah grabbed its third run in the bottom of the third inning. The Falcons loaded the bases with no outs following singles from
Hannah Dyer and Litwin and Book's second walk of the game. Two batters later, Wagner reached on a fielder's choice as Litwin was able to score on a throwing error by the shortstop. Despite leaving the bases loaded in the inning, Messiah held a 3-0 lead after three innings of play.
The Falcons opened up the game in the bottom of the fourth inning, plating four runs on four hits. Dyer, Litwin, and Wagner all recorded RBI in the inning as Litwin's two-run single upped her RBI total for the game to three.
Collison continued to dominate in the circle, not allowing any runs to score until the top of the sixth inning.
Kelli Durbin came on in relief, recording the final five outs of the game to seal the 7-3 victory for Messiah. The Falcons totaled nine hits in the game as Mellage, Litwin, and Dyer all recorded multi-hit performances.
Collison struck out three batters and earned her 16
th win of the season.
Game Two – Messiah 7, Stevenson 4
The Falcons continued their momentum in Game Two to clinch the doubleheader sweep, earning a three-run victory.
Maggie Chinnadurai made her 14th start of the season, earning the victory to improve her pitching record to 8-7 behind 6.2 strong innings pitched. The sophomore pitcher faced 35 batters, allowing just four runs and tallying a strikeout. Collison, who earned the win in Game One, came on in relief to record the final out of the game, earning her first save of the season.
Messiah's offense was powered by Shannon, who recorded the team's first three runs batted in. The junior catcher singled to center field to score Mellage in the first inning and launched a two-run homer in the third inning, her team-leading eighth long ball of the season.
Jaden Keister made a solid contribution in the bottom of the fifth inning, lacing an RBI-double down the third base line to clear the bases.
Rebekah Wiley, Book, and Litwin all scored on the play as Keister tallied three RBI to increase the Falcons' lead to 7-1. Keister ended the game going 3-for-3 at the dish, a season-high hits total for a single game.
Burger had an impressive offensive performance as well, notching a three-hit game while scoring a run. Dyer, Shannon, and Litwin also registered multi-hit games as the Falcons totaled 14 hits to complete the doubleheader sweep.
What's Next
Messiah (27-10, 11-3 MAC Commonwealth) concludes its 2023 regular season campaign on the road tomorrow, challenging the Lebanon Valley College Dutchmen in a conference doubleheader beginning at 3:30 p.m. (originally scheduled for 4/29).
