YORK, PA-The Messiah College Falcons spoiled the York College Spartans' 2007 home opener as the Falcons swept the Spartans in a non-conference softball twinbill in York on Wednesday. The Falcons won a slugfest in game one, 13-8, before notching a victory in a pitchers' duel, 3-2, in the nightcap. The Falcons improve to 10-5 overall while the Spartans fall to 9-11.
    In the opener, the Spartans got on the board early with a three run bottom of the first thanks to a Heather Bormann (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) RBI double, an Andrea Tombesi (York, PA/Dallastown) RBI single and a sacrifice fly from Megan Lahner (Finksburg, MD/Westminster).
    Both teams scored a pair of runs in the third and Messiah scored two more in the top of the fourth to cut the Spartan lead to 5-4.
    The Falcons exploded for five runs in the top of the fifth keyed by a three-run homer to left off the bat of Jessica DeBoer. York trimmed the lead to 9-6 in the bottom of the fifth on a Tombesi solo home run, her second bomb of the game.
    The scoring didn't stop as Messiah pushed the lead to 10-6 with a single run in the top of the sixth. York responded with two more runs in the bottom of the sixth on a Bormann sacrifice fly and a Lauren Brenemann (York, PA/Central York) RBI double to left center. The Falcons closed out the scoring with a three run top of the seventh, putting the game out of reach.
    Megan Rice earned the win for the Falcons as she improves to 6-2. Rice allowed eight runs, seven earned, on 13 hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Lahner suffered the loss as she allowed nine runs, eight earned, on 14 hits with four walks and a pair of strikeouts. Lahner falls to 7-6 with the loss.
    Rice led the Messiah offense as she was 4-for-6 with two runs scored. Rebecca Croft was 3-for-5 with a pair of runs scored and an RBI. Amy Bowie, Lana Trotter, and Abby Bergakker each contributed two hits to the Falcon attack. Bowie chipped in with a trio of RBI while Trotter and Bergakker each added two RBI.
    The Spartans were led by Tombesi as the junior was 3-for-3 with four RBI and two runs scored. Sam Lawrence (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) was 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Lahner chipped in with a pair of hits for York.
    The nightcap was much different from the opener as the offenses went on hiatus. The Falcons scored single runs in the first, second, and third innings to take the 3-0 lead. York got a pair of runs in the bottom of the third as senior Shannon Wood (Harrisburg, PA/Bishop McDevitt) stroked a two-run triple to pull the Spartans to within one at 3-2.
    York threatened in the sixth with a Tombesi walk and a Wood single but York would not be able to get a clutch hit as they dropped their third one-run decision in the last four games.
    Croft earned the win for Messiah as she went seven innings, allowing two runs on five hits with four strikeouts and a walk. She improves to 3-1 with the win.
    Sophomore Nicole Kerfoot (Owings, MD/Northern) took the loss as she allowed three runs, one earned, on nine hits with one walk. She falls to 2-3 with the setback.
    Croft led the Falcons with two hits and an RBI. Bowie was 1-for-3 with an RBI for Messiah.
    Wood paced the Spartans with two hits and a pair of RBI.
    The Spartans return to action on Saturday as they host Catholic in a Capital Athletic Conference twinbill at Spartan Stadium. Game one is set to start at 1:00 pm.