Kissimmee, Fla. – The Messiah University softball team dropped a doubleheader in their second day in Florida for spring break against the Loras College Duhawks and the Swarthmore College Garnet. In game one against Loras College, both pitchers dualed for five shutouts innings each. In the top of the sixth, the Falcons got on the board with an RBI groundout. The Duhawks answered back in the bottom of the sixth with four runs and then shutdown the Falcons in the seventh to earn a 4-1 win. Lydia Collison pitched six innings, allowing four earned runs, on eight hits, a walk, and had eight strikeouts. Allie Book tallied two hits in three at-bats. McKenzie Shannon tallied the lone RBI for the Falcons.
 
In game two, Swarthmore jumped to an early lead scoring two in the first and in the fourth to go up 4-0. The Garnet added three runs in the top of the sixth, but the Falcons answered back in a big way in the bottom of the sixth with a seven-run inning to tie the game at seven. The Garnet scored a run in the top of the seventh and then escaped a jam in the bottom of the seventh to defeat the Falcons, 8-7. Hannah Dyer led the Falcons with two hits and a run. Alexa Burger got on base three times with three walks and had an RBI. Paige Eakes totaled two RBIs, with a hit and a run.
 
Up next, the Falcons get a day off before finishing their spring break trip in Florida with a matchup against Hamilton College at 10:30 a.m. and against Mount St. Joseph University at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March. 13.

Game One – Loras 4, Messiah 1
After both teams went down in order in the first inning, the Falcons looked to get the offense going in the top of the second. After a leadoff strikeout, Allie Book singled to right field and Jaden Keister singled to center to put runners on first and second with one out. The Duhawks were able to get out of the inning though after two pop ups to the second basemen. In the bottom of the second, the Duhawks got a two-out single, but Lydia Collison then got a pop out to end any potential Loras rally.
 
After some great pitching and defense from both sides, Loras looked to score the first run of the game in the bottom of the fifth. The Duhawks got a one-out single to left and then got a stolen base to put a runner on second with one out. After another single put runners on the corners, the Duhawks got another steal to put runners on second and third with one out. Lydia Collison then got a huge strikeout and then a flyout to get out of the jam and keep the game scoreless.
 
The Falcons then in the top of sixth took the momentum after getting out of the jam in the bottom of the fifth. Alexa Burger led off the inning with a single and then Hannah Dyer reached on a fielder's choice to put runners on first and second with no outs. McKenzie Shannon then grounded into a fielder's choice that scored Burger and the Falcons took a 1-0 lead. Allie Book got a single, but the Duhawks limited the damage to one with a ground out to the pitcher. The Duhawks then scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth on a walk and five hits to give Loras a 4-1 lead.
 
The Falcons then went down in order in the top of the seventh, giving Loras the 4-1 win.
 
Lydia Collison pitched all six innings for the Falcons, giving up four earned runs on eight hits, a walk, and eight strikeouts. Allie Book led the Falcons offense with two hits. Alexa Burger and Jaden Keister each tallied a hit. McKenzie Shannon got the lone RBI for the Falcons on a fielder's choice.
 
Game Two – Swarthmore 8, Messiah 7
Swarthmore opened the game strong with a two-run top of the first. The Garnet scored the two runs on three hits and a Falcons error to give them an early 2-0 lead. The Falcons looked to answer in the bottom half with Alexa Burger leading off the inning with a walk. With one out, Burger stole second, and then advanced to third on a wild pitch, but the Falcons could not drive her in and Swarthmore kept their 2-0 lead.
 
After both pitchers retired the side in order in the second, Swarthmore looked to add to their lead in the top of third. The Garnet hit a one out single and then the runner stole second to give the Garnet a runner in scoring position with one out. Maggie Chinnadurai got a ground out, but the Garnet worked a walk and then roped a single to left field. It looked like the Garnet would get another run, but Ali Wagner threw a strike to the plate from left field to get the runner at home and keep the score at 2-0. The Falcons looked to get on the board in the bottom of the third after the big defensive play from Wagner. Alexa Burger walked with two outs and then Hannah Dyer doubled to left. Burger tried scoring from first on the play, but this time the Garnet had a relay to the plate to nab Burger and hold onto their 2-0 lead.
 
The Garnet seized the momentum and scored two more runs in the top of the fourth on three hits and an error to push their lead to 4-0. The Falcons went down in order in the fourth, and after working around a Swarthmore hit in the fifth, the Falcons looked to get on the board in the bottom of the fifth. After a leadoff flyout, Ali Wagner walked. Brielle Rosario then got a two-out single and then Alexa Burger walked to load the bases for the Falcons. Swarthmore then got out of the jam with a ground out to second to hold onto their 4-0 lead.
 
In the top of sixth, Swarthmore added on three more runs on three hits and an error to push their lead to 7-0. Even though the Falcons were down 7-0, they still looked for a late rally in the bottom of the sixth. After a leadoff pop out, Kandice Schlabach and Allie Book walked to put runners on first and second with one out. Rebekah Wiley then singled to center field that scored Schlabach and then Allie Book scored on an error by the Swarthmore center fielder to put the Falcons down 7-2. After Wiley advanced on a wild pitch, Ali Wagner drove home Wiley on an RBI single to put the Falcons down by four. Elianna Litwin then got hit by a pitch, and her and Wagner both advanced to second and third with only one out. Paige Eakes then hit a two-RBI double to right field that now put the Falcons within two. Eakes advanced to third on another wild pitch and then Alexa Burger grounded out to second, that scored Eakes and put the Falcons within one. The Falcons then worked a two-out rally with Hannah Dyer and McKenzie Shannon hitting infield singles to put runners on first and second with two outs. The two runners advanced on a wild pitch, and then Dyer scored from third on another wild pitch tying the game at seven. Swarthmore though was finally able to get out of the inning with a ground out, but the Falcons still put across seven runs tying the game at 7-7.
 
The Garnet though did not let the Falcons' big inning ruin their evening and scored a run in the top of the seventh on an RBI double. The Falcons were able to get two walks in the bottom of the seventh from Rebekah Wiley and Elianna Litwin but could not get another big hit and Swarthmore survived the late rally to win 8-7.
 
 Hannah Dyer led the Falcons with two hits and a run. Alexa Burger got on base three times with three walks and had an RBI. Paige Eakes totaled two RBIs, with a hit and a run.
 
Next
The Falcons get a day off before finishing their spring break trip in Florida with a matchup against Hamilton College at 10:30 a.m. and against Mount St. Joseph University at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March. 13.