ST. DAVIDS, Pa. - In another crucial MAC Commonwealth doubleheader at the EU Softball Field on Saturday, Eastern Softball recorded its two biggest wins of the campaign with a pair of walk-off victories over the Messiah University Falcons. Eastern took the opener, 3-2, in 10 innings on a Messiah fielding error, before junior first baseman Tori Hook walked it off with a two-run double to right center to lift the Eagles to a 4-3 win in game two, capping off a four-run, seventh inning rally.

Dating back to 2010, it is the first time in program history that the Eagles have swept the Falcons in softball. Additionally, the two victories were just the second and third wins over Messiah since the 2010 season. Eastern now sits at the top of the MAC Commonwealth with a 5-1 record in league play.

First-year pitcher Danika Barthol recorded another impressive conference victory, improving to 8-1 in her rookie campaign. The Emmaus native, despite giving up a pair of home runs and nine hits, allowed just two earned runs while striking out 12 in another complete-game triumph. It is the third straight conference start that Barthol has recorded 10 or more strikeouts.

After a scoreless first two frames, the Falcons struck first in the top of the third on a solo home run from shortstop Paige Eakes. The Eagles, however, answered in the bottom of the fourth. The Eagles recorded four hits in the inning, the first three coming off the bats of Hook, Susana Perez, and Kelci Cost. The fourth came courtesy of pinch hitter Kacie Noonan as the junior delivered a two-run knock to right center field to put the Eagles ahead 2-1.

Barthol cruised through the next two innings, allowing just three baserunners and keeping a potent Messiah lineup at bay. With one out in the seventh, however, Eakes extended the contest with her second solo shot of the game over the exact same part of the fence, ultimately sending the game to extra innings.

Both teams had their chances in the next few frames. The Eagles had a runner on second with two outs in the eighth, but could not capitalize. Messiah had runners on second and third with just one out in the top of the 10th, but a Barthol strikeout and a flyout to Ainsley O'Donnell kept the Falcons from regaining the lead.

In the bottom of the 10th, after a Hook single, a routine fly ball to center field was not caught, scoring Hook from second to secure the win for the Eagles. Hook and Perez combined for four hits and all three Eastern runs, while Elena Iannuzzelli also finished with two hits in three at-bats.

For six innings of game two, Messiah pitcher Fallon Feaster stifled the Eastern offense, working out of two early bases-loaded jams before recording four straight 1-2-3 frames. Needing a spark, sophomore Maeve Colligan provided it. Working a long at-bat against Feaster, the Long Valley, N.J. native crushed a double to right-center field to get the rally started. An infield error scored pinch runner Kellie O'Brien for Eastern's first run, before an RBI single to left field from O'Donnell scored Sophie Rollins to make it 3-2.

Two batters later, on a full count and with runners on first and second with two outs, Hook roped a double to right-center field, plating both Cost and O'Donnell to secure one of Eastern's most exciting doubleheader sweeps in recent memory. O'Donnell and Hook each finished with two hits, while Colligan, Rollins, Cost, and Alyssa Binczak each finished with one.

Bryn Clifford (3-1) recorded her third win of the season in relief, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings. The sophomore gave just one hit and no runs, striking out two on 21 pitches.

Eastern (18-3, 5-1) will be be on the road all of next week, beginning with a non-conference doubleheader at Gwynedd Mercy. First pitch is scheduled for Wednesday at 3:00 pm.