BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2

Grantham, Pa. (Apr. 19, 2012) - Alvernia University (24-8, 6-4) dropped a pair of games at defending Commonwealth Conference champion Messiah College (27-6, 10-0) Thursday afternoon.  The Falcons scored in each of their final three at-bats in a 6-2 decision in the opener then came back with five runs over the first two innings en route to an 11-3 win in game two.

Freshman Brittanie Wolfe (Pine Grove, Pa./Pine Grove) went six innings in the opener giving up six runs--three earned--then came back to start game two, but left after giving up three runs on three hits in the first inning.

Messiah scored the first run of game one on a one-out double and single in the bottom of the first, and the Crusaders answered it with a single run in the fourth.  Danielle Kitchen (Saylorsburg, Pa./Pleasant Valley) doubled with one out, moved up on a fly ball to center, then scored when Felicia McKenna (Williamstown, N.J./Williamstown) reached on an error.

Messiah regained the lead with a run in the bottom of the fourth, added an insurance run in the home half of the fifth, and three more in the sixth.  Alvernia had runners on in each of the last three innings, but could only push across one run in the top of the seventh.

The Falcons struck early in game two scoring three in the first on a two-run single and a sacrifice fly.  The lead grew to 5-0 on back-to-back RBI singles against Alvernia reliever Deanna Dungee (North Wales, Pa./North Penn).

Alvernia put three runs on the board in the third to pull within two.  Sam Penk (Lincroft, N.J./Middletown South) and Shannon Grim (Williamstown, N.J./Williamstown) each had RBI singles.

After a scoreless at-bat for each team, Messiah pushed its lead back to four runs with two unearned runs in the fourth inning then ended the game with four more in the fifth.

Alvernia looks to return to its winning ways on Saturday when it hosts Elizabethtown for a doubleheader.

Messiah 6, Alvernia 2 (Game One)
Messiah 11, Alvernia 3 (5) (Game Two)