GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Messiah softball team hosted the Bullets of Gettysburg College in a double header Thursday evening. In game one the Falcons late runs pushed them past the Bullets 2-1. Despite trailing for six innings, Falcon Elianna Litwin proved to be the difference with a sixth inning double scoring two runs to propel Messiah over the Bullets of Gettysburg. Lydia Collison pitched another complete game, striking out five, allowing only one run to pick up her third win of the season.

After the pitcher's dual in game one, both offenses woke up in game two. The Bullets had a couple of big innings top propel them to a 11-5 win. The Falcons clawed back after trailing by 10 heading into the bottom of the fourth. The Falcons scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth and one in the fifth, but the damage from early on in the game was too much and Gettysburg earned an 11-5 win. 

Up next, the Falcons host the Lions of Albright College for a doubleheader on Friday, March 22 at 3:00 p.m.
 
Game One – Messiah 2, Gettysburg 1
Gettysburg opened things up in the top of the first pushing through one runner after a double to right field and a wild pitch advancing the runner to third. Another double to left center brought her home to give the Bullets an early 1-0 lead. Lydia Collison would escape the top of the frame limiting the damage to just one run after forcing a ground out and pop up to go into the bottom of the first. The Falcons would look to get that run back and potentially take a lead. However, a one-two-three inning from Gettysburg kept the score 1-0 heading into the second.
 
Over the next two innings neither the Falcons nor the Bullets would cause any scare on the bases, with each team leaving at least one runner on base in each of the innings. Lydia Collison would settle in, in the circle striking out three batters in the stretch.
 
Following a quick top half of the fourth inning from the Falcons, Messiah came up to bat in the bottom of the fourth looking to make something happen. McKenzie Shannon roped a double to center to get things going for the Falcons. Two batters later Allie Book would reach on a Fielder's choice, then a Kandice Schlabach singled through the right side put runners on every base in what looked like a dangerous inning for the Bullets. However, a fielder's choice from Brielle Rosario to force the out at home led to Elianna Litwin popping out to end the inning, leaving three on base and the score still at 1-0.

Both the Falcons and the Bullets got through the fifth inning with no concern. Gettysburg leadoff batter would hit a single down the left field line however, a great throw from Brielle Rosario gunned her at second to keep the Bullets off the bases. Collison would finish the top half of the inning forcing a ground out and a strike out. In the bottom half of the fifth, Hannah Dyer would advance to first after getting hit by a pitch, but the Falcons were not able to bring her home, ending the inning still down 1-0.

Despite the Bullets getting a runner on second base in the top half of the sixth, the Falcons were able to get out of the situation with no harm. To begin the bottom of the sixth in what seemed like a must have inning, Rebekah Wiley led things off with a walk. Following two straight batters striking out, Rosario would come up to the plate hitting a single through the right side to put runners on first and second. Litwin would prove to be the difference in the sixth smashing a double to left center scoring both runners to give the Falcons a 2-1 lead. Gettysburg forced a ground out to end the inning but not before the damage was done.
 
Lydia Collison would close out the complete game forcing a ground out, fly out to left, then a strike out giving the Falcons the 2-1 game one win.

Game Two – Gettysburg 11, Messiah 5
 
After a scoreless top of the first, the Falcons looked to continue to momentum from game one. Hannah Dyer got the offense going with a one out single, but then the Falcons then lined out and then grounded out though to end the bottom of the first scoreless.
 
In the top of the second, Gettysburg got on the board with two runs on three hits and a walk. The Falcons led off the bottom half with a single from Allie Book. After a sac bunt from Elianna Litwin, the Falcons then grounded out twice in a row to end the inning.
 
The Bullets continued the momentum on offense with three runs on three hits and an error to take a 5-0 lead. The Falcons once again threatened with a leadoff runner, with Paige Eakes reaching first on an error by the Bullets' second basemen. After the runner got on, the Falcons again went down in order with the Bullets still leading by five heading into the fourth.
 
The Bullets poured on more runs with five more runs in the top of the fourth with a grand slam and a walk that scored a run ton push the Bullets lead to 10-0. The Falcons though looked to respond with a big inning of their own in the bottom of the fourth. Kandice Schlabach led off the inning with a walk and then Allie Book drove her in with an RBI double the went through the left side. After a flyout, Rebekah Wiley hit an RBI single to reduce the Falcons deficit to eight. After a groundout, Paige Eakes hit a two-run homerun to right center to put the Falcons within six. Alexa Burger then tripled to keep the Falcons threat going with two outs, but the Falcons flew out to end the bottom of the fourth with the score 10-4.
 
In the top of the fifth, Fallon Feason worked around two singles to hold the Bullets and get the Falcons bats back up to plate still down six. In the bottom of the fifth, Kandice Schlabach hit a one-out double and then Allie Book walked to put runners on first and second with one out. After a fly out, Rebekah Wiley hit a two-out single to score Schlabach and reduce the Bullets lead to five. The Falcons then popped out to third to end the inning with the score 10-5.
 
In the top of the sixth the Bullets added another run of three hits, but Fallon Feaser limited the damage to just one after recording two straight ground outs to end the top of sixth. The Falcons though would go down in order in the bottom of the sixth with the score now 11-5.
 
In the top of the seventh, the Bullets went down in order and the Falcons needed a big inning to comeback. With one out, Kandice Schlabach singled to right center, but the Falcons then went down with a strikeout and a flyout to end the game with a 11-5 loss.
 
Kandice Schlabach, Allie Book, and Rebekah Wiley each recorded two hits. Paige Eakes hit a two-run home run. Alexa Burger and Hannah Dyer each recorded a hit. Fallon Feaser pitched 3.1 innings in relief and allowed one run on six hits.

Next 
The Falcons host the Lions of Albright College for a doubleheader on Friday, March 22 at 3:00 p.m.