GRANTHAM, Pa. — After winning the first two games at the MAC Commownealth Championships, Eastern University came into the final day needing to beat the host Messiah University Falcons one more time. The Eagles (29-9) held a 2-0 lead going to seventh inning of the opener, but the top-seeded Falcons rallied for three runs and to force the championship into the 'if necessary game.' In the winner-takes-all final game, the Falcons scored in the bottom of the first inning before scoring four in the fourth inning and two more in the fifth to claim the championship with a 7-0 win.
In the opener, the Eagles used two-out rallies to put up single runs in each of the first two innings.
Emily Kurth drove in
Mackenzie Laub with a single to right in the first.
Sophie Rollins scored after
Ainsley O'Donnell hit a ball that was misplayed on at first.
Both pitchers seemed to have the upper hand.
Danika Barthol worked around a couple hits in the early innings before facing the minimum in the fifth and sixth. The Eagles had a good chance to tack oon some runs with two on in the fifth, but
Maeve Colligan and Sydney Ostoloza each hit deep fly balls that stayed in the yard.
Rollins made a great running catch to cut off a ball in the gap with one out in the sixth, and Barthol was looking at the bottom of the order for the seventh. After a lead-off error and an infield hit, the Falcons moved two into scoring position with a well-executed bunt from their ninth hitter in the order. A Hannah Dyer double down the left field line plated two and put more pressure on the Eastern defense with only one out. Dyer came home on a single to put the Falcons up.
Laub delivered a one-out single to start a rally in the bottom of the seventh. Before the dust settled,
Emily Kurth smashed a ground ball up the middle that Dyer scooped, stepped on the bag and turned into a double play.
The Falcons became the home team for the second game. Laub delivered a two-out single but finished the inning on second base. Dyer led off the bottom of the first with a double. Though Dyer came around to score,
Jania Long did well to limit the damage after Dyer got to third on a wild pitch.
The story of the second game was Messiah pitcher Maggie Chinnadurai. After throwing over 100 pitches in earning the win in the opener, the Falcon senior kept the Eagles off balance throughout the second game. She picked up her third win of the Championship with a 110 pitch effort in the final. She allowed six hits and struck out five to earn Championship MVP honors. Three of Eastern's hits came in the top of the seventh as a string of senior pinch hitters came up after
Tori Hook singled. Reggie Bangcoro and
Hailey Krichten singled to load the bases with two outs.
At 29-9, the Eagles will be one of several teams watching other conference tournaments unfold around America with an eye for a potential at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Seven of Eastern's nine losses came to teams that will be in the NCAA Tournament. Rowan is 40-1, Messiah is 33-11, Swarthmore is 31-9, and St. Mary's is 37-3.
