GLENSIDE, Pa. – The Arcadia University softball team dropped a pair of conference contests to nationally-ranked Messiah Saturday afternoon. The Scarlet and Grey took the Falcons to extras in the opener, falling 4-3 in nine innings, before dropping a 9-3 decision in the second game.
 
Game One: Messiah 4, Arcadia 3

HOW IT HAPPENED: The game started with each putting up a pair of runs in the first inning. Messiah's Amanda Jones singled to score Courtney Allen and Becky Notte scored when Erin Cressman reached on a fielder's choice. Arcadia responded in the bottom of the inning when freshman Jackie Bilotti's sacrifice fly brought in senior Sara Boyadjis, and sophomore Amanda Hess singled to score senior Sarah Gunia. After two scoreless innings, the teams traded runs in the fourth with the Falcons scoring as Cressman crossed the plate off a wild pitch in the top of the frame, and The Knights retaliating with a SAC fly to center from senior Alicia McMahon's scoring Hess. The teams would remain scoreless again until the top of the ninth inning, when Messiah's Amber Bingaman would score on an error.

ARCADIA AT THE PLATE: Hess was 2 of 4 with one RBI and one run scored to lead the offense. Gunia (1-4) and sophomore Nicole Iasiello (1-3) recorded the Knights' other two hits, while Bilotti and McMahon each had an RBI.

MESSIAH AT THE PLATE: Notte was 3 of 4 with a double and one run scored. Cressman went 2 of 3 with a RBI and one run scored, while Bingaman was 2 of 4 with one run.

ON THE HILL: Erin Wilson (4-3) tossed a complete game, giving up four runs (two earned) on 10 hits and striking out a pair. Messiah's Courtney Allen (8-0) also went the distance, giving up three runs (two earned) on four hits and struck out five batters in the process.
 
Game Two: Messiah 9, Arcadia 3
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: The Falcons carried the momentum from game one, posting three runs in the top of each the first and second innings. The Knights put up three of their own in the bottom of the sixth, as Hess was stealing second, Notte allowed a passed ball that allowed Billotti, who reached on a triple to right center, to come home from third. With Hess on third following the passed ball, Iasiello came to the plate with one on, one out to send a 2-2 pitch over the fence in left field. Messiah went on to add three in the top of the seventh to finish the scoring.
 
ARCADIA AT THE PLATE: Hess, again, put forth a two-hit effort as the third baseman went 2-3 with a run scored. Billotti and Iasiello each made their hits count, as both came with extra bases.
 
MESSIAH AT  THE PLATE: Brooke Pompeo, Courtney Allen and Amanda Petersen each went 2-4 for Messiah, while Amanda Jones was 2-3 with three RBI and two runs scored, including a two-run home run in the first inning.
 
IN THE CIRCLE: Freshman Kayla Resh (0-3) threw four innings, allowing six runs (5 earned) on nine hits, with two walks and two strikeouts; Gunia finished the game allowing one run on three hits in three innings of work. Carrie Fix (5-1) tossed 5.1 innings for Messiah allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
 
UP NEXT: The Knights finish off this home stand on Tuesday when they host Penn State-Abington at 5 p.m.