GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Messiah University softball team enters the 2024 MAC Commonwealth Tournament as the second seed. The Falcons open the double elimination tournament with a matchup against the third-seeded Spartans of York College on Thursday, May 2 at 2:00 p.m. The winner will play in game three on Friday, May 3 at 12:00 p.m. The loser will play in an elimination game on Friday, May 3 at 3:00 p.m.
Eastern and Alvernia will play in the other first round matchup at 5:00 p.m. on May 2.
The Falcons are making their 25 appearance in the conference tournament in program history. The Falcons are seeking their 12th championship in program history. The Falcons have an all-time record of 48-28 in the conference tournament.
Attention to fans, the best places to park are at Penn Park Parking and Cira's Center South lot. Fans are encouraged to park at these locations due to strict city laws on parking. The parking lots are paid for parking but will be less expensive than a parking ticket.
Fans should note that since this is a Middle Atlantic Conference Postseason Tournament, tickets are required for all fans. The pricing for tickets are as follows: Adults: $8, Seniors (65+) and Youth (7-17): $6, MAC Students with ID and children under six: FREE. There are mobile tickets available:
Day One Tickets,
Day Two Tickets, and
Day Three Tickets.
Check below for a preview of the 2024 Softball MAC Commonwealth Tournament
No. 2 Messiah University Falcons
The Messiah University softball team earned the second seed in the MAC Commonwealth Tournament after a 27-13 overall record and a 12-2 record in conference play. The Falcons started the season slow but finished the season with a 23-4 record and a 16-1 record in the month of April. The Falcons led the MAC Commonwealth with a .338 batting average on the season. The Falcons pitching staff finished second in the conference with a 2.69 ERA.
Players to Watch
#19
Kandice Schlabach - .449 AVG., eight HRs, 52 RBIs, 1.266 OPS, 32 runs
#21
Hannah Dyer - .384 AVG., 43 hits, 43 runs, 24 stolen bases, 24 HBPs, 1.114 OPS
#20
Paige Eakes - .364 AVG, 40 hits, four HRs, 24 RBIs, 1.030 OPS, 25 runs
#3
Allie Book - .331 AVG, 42 hits, 30 RBIs, 10 doubles, .822 OPS, 24 runs
#11
Lydia Collison – 13-4 record, 121.2 IP, 1.96 ERA, 99 SO, 23 BBs, 15 complete games
#15
Fallon Feaser – 10-2 record, 82.0 IP, 1.79 ERA, 46 SO, 20 BBs, nine complete games
No. 3 York College Spartans
The York College Spartans earned the third seed after a 24-16 overall record and a 9-5 record in MAC Commonwealth play. The Spartans come into the tournament with a 5-2 record in their last seven games after a 1-9 stretch that included matchups with No. 1 Salisbury and No. 8 Christopher Newport. The Spartans finished second in the MAC Commonwealth with a .318 batting average and led the conference with 29 HRs and 253 RBIs.
This Season Against Messiah
The Falcons and Spartans met on April 13 for a doubleheader. The Falcons bats carried Messiah in game one with a 9-1 win. In game two,
Fallon Feaser pitched a no-hitter and the Falcons won 2-0.
No. 1 Eastern University Eagles
The Eastern University Eagles softball team will be looking for its first-ever MAC Championship crown in program history. It's only the fifth time in program history that the Eagles secured 20-plus wins in a single season. After spending 12 years in the MAC Freedom, the Eagles moved to the MAC Commonwealth in 2020 and have been looking for a championship ever since. The top-seeded Eagles come into the tournament 13-1 in MAC Commonwealth play with the lone loss coming from York when they split a doubleheader back on Mar. 24. The Eagles have the top pitching staff in the MAC Commonwealth with a 1.83 ERA
This Season Against Messiah
It was a battle of the birds when the Eagles and Falcons met on Mar. 30. The Eagles swept both games of the doubleheader in a close contest. Eastern earned a tight 3-2 10-inning game in the first of the two. Game two was all Falcons until the Eagles scored four straight in the bottom of the seventh to secure to 4-3 victory.
No. 4 Alvernia University Golden Wolves
The Golden Wolves of Alvernia University will be entering their 12th MAC Commonwealth Tournament. They will be looking for its second MAC Championship for the first time since 2012 when they took out Messiah by a final of 5-0. With an 8-6 conference record, Alvernia will look for revenge on Eastern after dropping both games of the doubleheader when they played back on Apr. 7. Alvernia is third n the MAC Commonwealth in hitting with a .311 batting average and third in pitching with a 3.30 ERA.
This Season Against Messiah
Alvernia and Messiah clashed on Mar. 16 when the Falcons swept the Golden Wolves 7-3 in game one and 4-2 in game two. In game two of the doubleheader, after being 2-1 Messiah would rally back to score three straight runs to earn the victory.
