COCOA BEACH, Fla. (March 10, 2026) – Emerson College dropped a pair of tight matchups on its third day of games at the USSSA Space Coast Classic this evening. Messiah College posted a 4-2 win in Emerson's first game, before Saint Mary's (Ind.) College edged the Lions 4-3 in the nightcap.
Game 1: Messiah 4, Emerson 2
Sorensen |
The top third of the Messiah lineup combined to hit 7-for-12, all without benefit of an extra base hit, led by sophomore Ava Fair who hit 3-for-4 with an RBI. Junior Fallon Feaser batted 2-for-4 with an RBI, while senior Allie Book drove in two runs without benefit of a hit.
Senior Kelli Durbin earned the win in the circle for Messiah, allowing two earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts and two walks in the complete game effort, also scoring a run for the Falcons. Junior Cal Sheehan pitched well in defeat for Emerson, yielding four runs, just two earned, on nine hits with four strikeouts and a walk over six innings.
Sophomore Kari Sorensen batted 2-for-4 at the plate for Emerson with a double and RBI. Classmate Avi Kuperman also doubled for the Lions and scored a run.
Messiah grabbed a two-run lead with two unearned runs in the third inning without the ball leaving the infield. Freshman Ashley Bryant drew a one out walk and later scored on a Fair single up the middle and then Book drove in freshman Jalyn Rosario who had reached on a fielder's choice.
Emerson drew back within a run twice with single runs in the fifth and sixth, but Messiah responded in the home half each time. First year Malena Cardinale led off the fifth with a single up the middle and later scored on Sorenson's double to left. Messiah loaded the bases with none out in the bottom of the fifth after two infield singles and a bunt, but Emerson escaped the jam yielding just one run when Book reached on a fielder's choice.
Kuperman was hit by a pitch to lead off the sixth for Emerson and scored when the inning was extended on a Messiah error to pull within a run yet again. Fair restored the two-run lead with an RBI infield single in the bottom of the sixth and then Durbin set down the Lions in order in the seventh to close the game out.
Game 2: Saint Mary's 4, Emerson 3
Saint Mary's scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to break a 2-2 deadlock and then held on in the seventh to deal Emerson a second heartbreaking loss in the nightcap.
Kuperman |
Junior Allie Moss hit 1-for-4 with two RBI to lead the Saint Mary's offense, while sophomore Lydia Hinga was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Senior Sam Mikitka picked up the win (2-3) in relief for the Belles despite allowing two earned runs on three hits with a strikeout and walk over three innings in relief of sophomore Ashlyn Yeo who yielded just an unearned run while scattering seven hits with two strikeouts and no walks over the first four.
Avi Kuperman hit 3-for-4 with a double, home run, RBI and run scored to lead the Emerson lineup. Sophomore Riley Fasteau also delivered three hits, finishing 3-for-3, while Malena Cardinale added a pair of hits for the Lions. Junior Kate Regan took the loss in the circle (0-3), allowing four runs, just two earned, on eight hits with two strikeouts and two walks in five innings.
After the teams traded unearned runs in the third, Saint Mary's grabbed the lead in the fourth when Moss delivered a two-out RBI single to right. Emerson had a quick response in the fifth when Kuperman drilled her first career home run to left with one out.
Saint Mary's plated a pair in the sixth when Mikitka reached on an error to lead off the frame and later scored on a sacrifice fly. Moss followed with an RBI ground out as Hinga scored an important insurance run for the Belles.
First year Valentina Luciano led off the top of the seventh with a walk and later scored on an RBI single from junior Riley Caiazza. Caiazza advanced to second on a wild pitch, but Mikitka was able to strand her there with a strikeout and fly out to end the game.
Up Next
Emerson (1-5, 0-0 NEWMAC) is right back in action tomorrow for a pair of games at the Space Coast Classic, starting with Shenandoah University at 10 a.m., before closing out its spring break trip against the University of Wisconsin-Superior at 2:30 p.m. The Lions are scheduled to open their home schedule next Tuesday, March 17, when they host Lasell University for a non-conference doubleheader at Rotch Field at 3 p.m.
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