Grantham, Pa. (March 18, 2025) - Messiah University (10-4, 2-0) completed two come-from-behind wins to secure the series sweep of Alvernia University (7-7, 0-2) on Tuesday night in the MAC Commonwealth opener at Messiah.

Alvernia led Messiah 3-2 in the sixth inning in game one of the afternoon, taking the late lead in a back-and-forth affair. Messiah tied the game at 3-3 to send it to extra innings, and it remained tied until Alvernia retook the lead in the tenth. Messiah tied it again, and then scored the game-winner in the first at-bat of the 11th inning.

Alvernia then got off to a quick lead in game two, leading 3–0 after the first. Messiah got within one, 3-2, in the fourth inning. The Falcons then put up three runs in the fifth to take the 5-3 lead before the game was called for darkness.

Game 1: Messiah 5, Alvernia 4 (11 innings)
Hits: Messiah 10, Alvernia 7
Errors: Alvernia 3, Messiah 0
WP: Maggie Chinnadurai (5-1)     LP: Kelsey Racine (3-2)

• The Falcons took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Messiah led off the inning with a triple from Brielle Rosario. Rosario then came around to score on the following play on a single through the right side.
• Alvernia put its lead off batter in scoring position to open the third inning as Jaclyn Barbera doubled to right field. But, Messiah retired Alvernia's next three batters to strand Barbera on second. 
• The Golden Wolves tied the game up at 1-1 in the top of the fourth. Angelina Sponheimer reached second on a two-out double to the right game. Taylor McClain then traded places with her on a double ripped to left field. 
• Messiah retook the lead in its half of the fight on a double to right center to take a 2-1 lead. But, Alvernia answered in the top of the sixth. Mady Polonsky reached on a one-out single to left field and stole second to get into scoring position. Sponheimer then walked to put two base-runners on for Alvernia with two outs, and McClain hit her second double of the day to bring in Polonsky and Sponheimer and give Alvernia the 3-2 lead.
• The Falcons tied the game again in the bottom half of the sixth. The Falcons had a runner on third with two outs, and she came home to tie the game at 3-3 on a throwing error for what would have been the third out of the inning.
• Alvernia stranded a runner in the top of the seventh to keep the game tied at 3-3. Messiah did not put a runner on in the bottom of the seventh as the game moved into extras tied at 3-3.
• The first three innings of extra went by without either team able to plate a runner. But, as the game entered the 10th, the international tie-breaker came into play and Alvernia struck first. The Golden Wolves drove in Barbera on an Alexia Fitzgerald single to left field. The hit marked Fitzgerald's 100th career and gave Alvernia the 4-3 lead. 
• Messiah tied the game up at 4-4 in its half of the tenth. The Falcons then kept Alvernia from scoring in the top of the 11th, thanks in part to the Falcons doubling up Alvernia on a lineout. Messiah then scored the game-winner in its half of the 11th on a single to right field to lead off the 11th and drive in the runner on second for the 5-4 win.

Alvernia Pitching
Natalie Berwick: 5.1 IP, 6 Hits, 3 Runs, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO
Kelsey Racine (L): 4.2 IP, 4 Hits, 2 Runs, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO

Alvernia Offensive Leaders
Taylor McClain: 2-for-5, 3 RBI, 2 2B, 
Mady Polonsky: 2-for-4, 1 Run
Angelina Sponheimer: 1-for-4, 2 Run, 1 BB

Game 2: Messiah 5, Alvernia 3 (5 innings)
Hits: Messiah 11, Alvernia 5
Errors: Messiah 2, Alvernia 1
WP: Kelli Durbin (1-1) LP: Ashlyn Hillanbrand (1-3)

• Alvernia got off to a quick start in the top of the first, plating three runs for the early 3-0 lead. Summer Montgomery reached on a single in Alvernia's second at-bat of the game, and advanced to second on a fielder's choice error on the at-bat of Brooke Hauck. Montgomery then came around and scored on a Sponheimer single. McClain then drove in Hauck on a single to make it a 2-0 game, and a Barbera single drove in Sponheimer to cap off the inning and give Alvernia the 3-0 lead.
• Messiah chipped away at the Alvernia lead from there. The Falcons got a run back in the second inning on a solo home run to make it a 3-1 game. The Falcons then got within one, 3-2, on a double to left center. Messiah then put up a three-spot in the bottom of the fifth. Messiah scored the go-ahead run on a two-run single. The Falcons then added an insurance run on an RBI single. The game was then called for darkness as Messiah took the 5-3 win and the series sweep.

Alvernia Pitching
Ashlyn Hillanbrand (L): 4 IP, 9 Hits, 5 Runs, 4 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO
Ryann Healey: 1 IP, 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BB, 0 SO

Alvernia Offensive Leaders
Taylor McClain: 1-for-2, 1 RBI
Jaclyn Barbera: 1-for-2, 1 RBI

Up Next

• Alvernia continues a busy stretch of games on Thursday, hosting Ursinus for a non-conference doubleheader.