FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- The Methodist softball team split a doubleheader with Messiah at Price Field on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Falcons cruised to a 9-1, 7-inning win in game one, and MU bounced back with a 2-1 win in the nightcap. In the nightcap, the Monarchs rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to erase a 1-0 deficit and salvage a split.
 
After dropping the opening game, MU's Nicole Heinrich limited Messiah to just four hits over 7.0 innings. She gave up just one run and walked two with one strikeout to help MU right the ship. The only run scored off of the senior was Erin Cressman's solo homerun in the top of the fourth inning.
 
In the seventh inning, Christine Bowman single to left, and Kristin Emrich replaced her as a pinch runner. With one out, Natalie High single to left which allowed Emrich to advance to second. Each runner moved up on Morgan Faircloth's groundout and Emrich tied the game at 1-1 when she scored on a passed ball. After a walk to Kristen Bailly, Jordan Pietrolaj scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch.
 
Messiah's Carrie Fix was nearly as effective as Heinrich, allowing two unearned runs on four hits and two walks with two strikeouts in 6.2 innings.
 
Alanna Anderson doubled for the Monarchs, and Allyson Aycock, High, and Bowman all singled.
 
Cressman finished 2-for-2 with a run and RBI for the Falcons. Amanda Jones was 1-for-2, and Madelyn Yanettia was 1-for-3.
 
Messiah came out red hot in the opener, taking a 6-0 lead into the fourth inning before MU got on the board when Danielle Brendes was able to score on a wild pitch to make it 6-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning.
 
Three more runs from Messiah, including a two-run double off the bat of Courtney Allen, pushed the lead to 9-1 and after a leadoff single from Anderson in the bottom of the frame, the Monarchs went down  1-2-3 to close out the game.
 
Allen also handled the pitching duties for Messiah and allowed just one run (0 ER) on two hits and three walks with five strikeouts. At the plate, she was 2-for-3 with a run and a pair of RBI. Fix was 3-for-4 with three runs, and Brooke Pompeo was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and one driven in.
 
Christine Bowman started for MU and took the loss in the circle. She was charged with five runs (3 ER) on seven hits and a walk in 2.0 innings. Sydney Foland pitched the final four innings and gave up four runs (3 ER) on five hits with one strikeout. Bowman also had one of MU's two hits.
 
Methodist is back in action on Tuesday when it hosts St. Andrews in a doubleheader beginning at 3:00 pm.