LEESBURG, Fla. – The Messiah University softball team split their first day in Florida for spring break. In game one, The Falcons and Saint Joseph's (Me.) battled in a pitcher's duel, but Saint Joseph's were able to score a run in the first and the sixth and held the Falcons' bats in check to win 2-0. Lydia Collison threw a complete game in the circle for the Falcons. Collison went seven innings, allowing two earned runs, on five hits, two walks, and had seven strikeouts. The Falcons bats woke up in a 10-2 win in game two over Carroll University. The Falcons scored five runs in the first three innings. After Carroll scored two in the third to make the game 5-2, both teams pitchers threw a couple strong innings before the Falcons poured on five more runs in the top of sixth and then shut down the Carroll offense in the bottom half to win the game 10-2 in six innings. Maggie Chinnadurai pitched all six innings, allowing six hits, two earned runs, two walks, and had two strikeouts. Hannah Dyer led the Falcons going 3-4 with two runs and an RBI. Kandice Schlabach and Alexa Burger each finished with two hits and an RBI each.
 
Up next, the Falcons continue their spring break trip in Florida with a doubleheader against Loras College and Swarthmore College on Monday, March 11 starting at 4:15 p.m.
 
Game One – Saint Joseph's (Me.) 2, Messiah 0
The Monks opened the scoring in the top of the first with a two-out RBI double, but Lydia Collison got a strikeout with a runner on second and third to limit the damage in the opening half. In the bottom half of the first, Hannah Dyer hit a one-out single, but the Falcons grounded out and popped out to end the first inning.
 
In the top of the second, Lydia Collison struck out the first batter, but the second Monk batter walked and stole second to put a runner on second with one out. Collison then struck out the next two batters to end the top of the second. After the first two batters for the Falcons in the bottom of the second got out, Jaden Keister hit a single to keep the inning alive. Brielle Rosario walked, and the Falcons looked to try to tie the game with runners on first and second, but the Monks got a strikeout to end the Falcons threat.
 
After both pitchers cruised through two innings of work, the Monks looked to add to their lead in the top of the fifth. The Monks led off the inning reaching on an error and then singled to put runners on first and second with no outs. Lydia Collison worked around the jam and got three straight outs to keep the score at 1-0. The Falcons then looked to take the momentum from the Monks in the bottom half. Jaden Keister and Brielle Rosario each walked to give the Falcons runners on first and second with no outs. The Monks then got a fly out and then a double play as both teams worked out of jams to keep the score at 1-0 headed into the sixth inning.
 
In the top of sixth, the Monks lead off the inning with a single. After two outs, the runner was able to advance to third with two outs. The Monks then got a RBI single up the middle to increase their lead to 2-0. In the bottom of the sixth, Kandice Schlabach hit a two out single through the right side, but the Monks then got a fly out on the next batter to keep their 2-0 lead.
 
Lydia Collison got the Monks to go down in order in the top of the seventh and the Falcons looked for a rally in the bottom of the final frame. Mackenzie Shannon walked to lead off the inning, but then the Falcons went down in order to fall 2-0.
 
Lydia Collison threw a complete game in the circle for the Falcons. Collison went seven innings, allowing two earned runs, on five hits, two walks, and had seven strikeouts. Hannah Dyer, Jaden Keister, and Kandice Schlabach each had one hit. Brielle Rosario totaled two walks.
 
Game Two – Messiah 10, Carroll 2
After a leadoff out in the top of the first, the Falcons got the offense going early with a single from Hannah Dyer. After Dyer advanced to second, Kandice Schlabach singled to left field and Dyer scored to give the Falcons an early 1-0 lead.
 
In the top of the second, the Falcons continued to have a strong start on offense. After another leadoff out, Elianna Litwin walked and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Ali Wagner then singled and advanced to second on a throw to give the Falcons runners on second and third with only one out. Paige Eakes then singled to the pitcher and Litwin scored and the Falcons continued the threat with runners on first and third. Alexa Burger then singled to right field, scoring Wagner, but the Carroll fielder made an error and Eakes also scored all the way from first base to give the Falcons a 4-0 lead. In the bottom of the second, Maggie Chinnadurai continued to pitch well working around a two-out walk to preserve the Falcons 4-0 lead.
 
In the top of the third, Kandice Schlabach led off the inning with a double and after an error advanced her to third, Rebekah Wiley grounded out to the pitcher and Schlabach scored giving the Falcons a 5-0 lead. Elianna Litwin got a two-out double right after, but Carroll worked out of the inning with a strikeout. In the bottom of the fifth, Carroll got on the board with an RBI triple and single to reduce the score to 5-2.
 
The Falcons looked to answer in the top of the fourth. After a leadoff out, Alexa Burger singled to left field, but was caught stealing during the next batter. Hannah Dyer then double and McKenzie Shannon walked to give the Falcons second and third with two out, but Carroll got a strikeout to end the top of the fourth. Carroll looked to continue the momentum at the plate in the bottom of the fourth and loaded the bases with two outs. Maggie Chinnadurai then got a groundout to end the frame and keep the Falcons 5-2 lead.
 
Both teams worked around a lone hit in the fifth, but the Falcons looked to add more insurance runs in the top of the sixth. Jaden Keister led the inning off with a pinch hit double and then Alexa Burger reached on an error that scored Keister. Hannah Dyer then tripled that scored Burger and extended the Falcons lead to 7-2. McKenzie Shannon and Kandice Schlabach each walked to load the bases for Allie Book. Book then doubled to center field scoring all three runners on base to push the Falcons lead to 10-2. Carroll then got out of the inning and needed to score in the bottom half to extend the game. Maggie Chinnadurai got Carroll to go down in order to give the Falcons a 10-2 win.
 
Maggie Chinnadurai pitched all six innings, allowing six hits, two earned runs, two walks, and had two strikeouts. Hannah Dyer led the Falcons going 3-4 with two runs and an RBI. Kandice Schlabach and Alexa Burger each finished with two hits and an RBI each.