HAWAII. – On Thursday afternoon, the Messiah softball team dropped an offensive battle to Puget Sound in game one of the doubleheader. The Falcons suffered a 13-5 loss despite tallying 11 hits. In game two, the Falcons used dominant pitching from Maggie Chinnadurais 11 strikeouts to pick up the 6-2 win. Kandice Schlabach on the day combined for four total hits, while Lucy Murphy tallied three hits of her own. Messiah had a total of nine different players grab hits on the day. 
 
Up Next:
The Falcons will return home to take on the Golden Wolves of Alvernia University Thursday, Mar.18.
 
Game One:  Puget Sound 13 Messiah 5
How It Happened:
The Falcons fell behind early as the Loggers were able to capitalize on solid plate discipline and collective hitting to take a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. The Falcons were hoping to respond to letting up the early runs, but despite a Lucy Murphy single the Loggers got out of the inning with no damage.
 
Following a perfect 1-2-3 inning from Fallon Feaser striking out the side, Messiah came back up to the plate looking to put a dent into the lead. Kandice Schlabach kicked off the inning with a single. After a quick out, Brielle Rosario tripled to right field to bring home the first run of the game for the Falcons. Unfortunately for the Falcons that would be the only run they would get, now trailing 3-1.
 
The Loggers came the plate determined to respond to the Falcons run. Following a couple of walks, a double to left field allowed one runner to get home with a runner now on third. One batter later, a field error allowed that runner to get home giving Puget Sound the 5-1 lead. A quick three and out from the Falcons sent the game into the fourth still trailing.
 
The fourth inning looked like it was going to get out of hand as a double to left center forced a pitching change. Back-to-back walks and a single to right field extended the Loggers lead to 7-1. Kelli Durbin, however, would stay composed and get out the inning limiting the damage. Despite trailing by six, Kandice Schlabach was determined to provide a spark for the Falcons. She would do just that with an incredible inside the park home run provided some life within the dugout. Allie Book would wear a pitch setting up pitch runner Sierra Emery to round the bases to third after an Ali Wagner single. Despite a strikeout to give the Loggers two outs, Haylie Fenstermaker singled on a bunt to score the speedy Emery and advance Wagner to third, keeping the inning alive. However, despite Hannah Dyer loading the bases, the inning would end there, but Messiah cut the deficit to 7-3.
 
Now trailing by four, the Falcons hoped to get out of the top half of the inning quick to bring their batters back to the plate. The Loggers, however, had other plans, despite two quick outs from Durbin, Puget Sound rallied to score three more runs to extend the lead to 11-3. Messiah was not done yet as the middle of their lineup came to the plate, Feaser, Schlabach, and Book got themselves on the base path to load the bases for Rosario with no outs. Rosario would force a pitching change after a single to center scoring one more, but the scare would stop there as the Loggers got the next three batters out to enter the sixth inning up 11-4.
 
After the Loggers added two more run in the sixth, the Falcons were hoping for one last push in the final inning. Dyer's triple allowed Murphy to bring her home with a single, but the Falcons could not expand upon the run falling to the Loggers 13-5.
 
Stats:
Kandice Schlabach (2-4, 2R, 1RBI), Lucy Murphy (2-4 1RBI), Brielle Rosario (2- 3 2RBI). Fallon Feaser, Hannah Dyer, Allie Book, Haylie Fenstermaker all grabbed a hit. Fallon Feaser pitched three innings with four strikeouts, Kelli Durbin pitched two innings with one strikeout.

Game Two Messiah 6 Puget Sound 2
How It Happened:
Both teams walked out of the first inning scoring a run. Thanks to Hannah Dyer reaching base and a Lucy Murphy sacrifice bunt to advance to second, a field error allowed Dyer to steal home. The Loggers would use a double and a single to bring home one runner and tie the game.
 
Following a quiet second inning from both squads, the Falcons were able to take advantage of sound hitting. After a Fallon Feaser ground rule double, and singles from Kandice Schlabach and Allie Book, the Falcons were able to extend their lead to 3-1. Maggie Chinnadurai would put a close to the third inning going three up three down.
 
Over the next two innings the Falcons were able to tack on three more runs. In the fourth Schlabachs sacrifice fly scored Dyer, while a sacrifice fly from Brielle Rosario scored one more. In the fifth, great base running from Dyer put her in scoring position to set up a Murphy single to drive in one more run.
 
Despite allowing a run in the sixth inning, Chinnadurai was strong over the final three striking out four batters leading the Falcons to the 6-2 win, picking up their eighth win of the season.
 
Stats:
Kandice Schlabach (2-4 1R, 1RBI), Lucy Murphy, Fallon Feaser, Allie Book, Maggie Chinnadurai, Haylie Fenstermaker, Rebekah Wiley all grabbed one hit. Maggie Chinnadurai pitched a complete game striking out a whopping 11 batters.
 
What's Up Next:
The Falcons will take on Alvernia University for their first MAC Commonwealth series of the season. First pitch is set for Tuesday, Mar. 18^th at 3:00p.m.