WILLIAMSPORT, Pa – Senior Rachael Shady (Lock Haven, Pa./Central Mountain) pitched eight innings of five-hit ball in the doubleheader opener and sophomore Madison Brown (McElhattan, Pa./Central Mountain) extended her hitting streak to four games, but the Lycoming College softball team fell to MAC Commonwealth leader Messiah College, 2-1 in eight innings in the opener, and 11-1 in six innings in the nightcap, on Wednesday afternoon, April 18, at the Shangraw Athletic Complex.
 
In the opener, Shady pitched a complete game, allowed just five hits and struck out four while stranding 11 runners on base. The senior worked out of multiple one-out jams to keep the Warriors (7-19 overall, 1-9 MAC Commonwealth) within striking distance.
 
Lycoming jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the third when junior Rachel Duda (Jersey Shore, Pa./Jersey Shore Area) led off the inning with a single to centerfield. She advanced to second when senior Samantha Fischer (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport Area) made it to first on a fielder's choice and Duda was safe at second. After a lineout, freshman Taylor Gessner (Lewisburg, Pa./Meadowbrook Christian) singled through the right side on the first pitch, scoring Duda.
 
Messiah (21-13 overall, 12-2 MAC Commonwealth) tied the game in the top of the fourth, but stranded two runners in scoring position with one out when Shady induced two groundouts. She retired the next seven batters until the Falcons tried to start a rally in the seventh. After being hit by a pitch, Sarah Chen advanced to second on a wild pitch and third on a sacrifice bunt. Carrie Fix bunted for a single and advanced to second on the throw, giving Messiah two runners in scoring positon with one out. The next batter then grounded out to Gessner, who quickly threw to home plate for the second out. Two pitches later, Amber Bingaman flied out and the Warriors were out of the jam.
 
Fischer tried to start a two-out rally with a single through the left side in the bottom of the seventh, but she was tagged out on a fielder's choice. In the top of the eighth, four of the first five Messiah batters reached base and Madelyn Yannetti's single scored the go-ahead run, but Shady limited the damage when she struck out and popped up the final two batters, leaving the bases loaded.
 
Lycoming hit into two quick outs in the bottom of the eighth, before senior Ashley Schoenstadt (Gap, Pa./Pequea Valley) walked on four pitches and Brown moved her to third with a single down the right field line, but the Warriors couldn't put the tying run across.
 
Gessner (1-for-4, RBI), extending her hitting streak to six games, Duda (1-for-3, run), Brown (1-for-3) and Fischer (1-for-1) all had hits for Lycoming.
 
Fix (8-5) earned the win for Messiah, striking out two in eight innings.
 
Yannetti went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Erin Cressman went 1-for-2 with two runs for Messiah.
 
In the second game, Lycoming again took an early 1-0 lead in the first when Gessner and Brown were each hit by pitches and Gessner later scored on a fielding error. Messiah, though, scored three runs in the second and another in the third, before putting up a combined seven runs in the fifth and sixth innings to put the game away.
 
Brown and sophomore Lydia Yorks (Jersey Shore, Pa./Jersey Shore) each went 1-for-2, while Shady, Schoenstadt and junior Cayla Treaster (Williamsport, Pa./Montoursville Area) went 1-for-3 for Lycoming.
 
Nace walked two and stranded seven runners on base. Joy Kolakowski (8-3) earned the win for Messiah, giving up an earned run and allowing five hits.
 
Seise led Messiah at the plate, going 4-for-4 with two doubles, two runs and five RBIs. Cressman went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a run.
 
The Warriors return to action on Thursday, April 19, when they host Susquehanna University in a non-conference doubleheader at 3 p.m. at the Shangraw Athletic Complex.