BOX SCORE (Game One)
BOX SCORE (Game Two)

Reading, Pa. (Apr. 30, 2011) - Messiah (31-5, 11-3 Comm.) needed a seventh-inning rally and a Crusader error to take game one from Alvernia (21-11, 5-9 Comm.) by a score of 1-0, and they needed eight innings in the second game of the day to secure the 6-4 win.  Senior Michelle Jensen (Holland, NJ/Delaware Valley) held the Falcons .354 team batting average to just four hits in game one.

The first game of the day was a classic picther's duel with only one base runner reaching third base through the first six innings for both teams.  The Crusader's threatened in the fifth inning with a single from Lisa Seidler (Feasterville, Pa./Archbishop Wood) to lead off the inning, and another single from Amanda Galanti (Red Bank, NJ/Marine Acad. Sci./Tech) but Alvernia ran themselves out of the inning with a outfield throw-out at third base.  

In the top of the seventh Falcon Jaclyn Merkel led-off the inning with a double and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt.  After a backwards K, starting pitcher Jessica Rhoads drilled one to the left-field warning track that just tipped off Miranda Peto's (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville) glove to plate the winning run.  The Crusader's managed a base hit from Rhiannon Sorrentino (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall) in the bottom of the seventh, but a line-out double play ended the threat and the game.

Alvernia took the 1-0 lead in game two in the third inning thanks to a solo shot from Michelle Hermanns (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West).  They added two more in the bottom of the fourth inning for the 3-0 lead.  Freshman Samantha Penk (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South) led-off the third with a double, and Sorrentino reached on a Falcon error on her sacrifice bunt attempt.  A successful sacrifice bunt from Seidler put runners at second and third with one out.  Danielle Kitchen (Saylorsburg, Pa./Pleasant Valley) came up clutch with a single to left to plate two, while Kitchen advanced all the way to third on the throw and play at the plate.  After a pitching change, Messiah escaped the inning without further damage.

The Falcons got one back in the top of the fifth, but Alvernia answered with one of their own in the bottom of the fifth after Katie Manowski (Grasonville, Md./Kent Island) led off the inning with a single and came around to score on a single from Sorrentino. 

With Alvernia leading 4-1 in the sixth inning, Messiah dropped a three-run homerun off the bat of Jaclyn Markel to tie the game.  The pushed across two more in the eighth inning for the 6-4 lead.  Penk led-off Alvernia's half of the eighth with a single, and after a deep fly-out from Sorrentino, Seidler followed with a single to force Messiah to bring Rhoads in for her first potential save of the season.  Rhoads retired the next to batters in order to preserve the 6-4 win.

Alvernia, now out of the Commonwealth play-offs will await a bid to the ECACs which begin on May 11th.

Messiah 1, Alvernia 0
Messiah 6, Alvernia 4 (8 innings)