GRANTHAM, Pa.--The Hood College softball team (9-5, 2-2 Commonwealth) suffered a pair of five-inning defeats at the hands of Messiah College (12-4, 5-1 Commonwealth), 11-2 in game one and 10-2 in game two, Saturday afternoon in Commonwealth Conference action.

The Falcons, who advanced to the championship round of the Commonwealth tournament last season and won the conference in 2009, 2010 and 2011, were picked to finish second in the Commonwealth preseason poll this season.

Hood pounced on the Falcons early with a pair of runs in the top of the first. Carly Farr and Ashley Fourcade both collected RBI-doubles to stake the Blazers to a 2-0 lead. But the Falcons responded with a three-run bottom of the first. Madelyn Coffey drove in two runs with a base hit down the leftfield line and Stephanie Schell registered a bases-loaded single to make it 3-2 Messiah.

Messiah starter Claressa Mees silenced the Blazer bats the rest of the way, allowing just two base hits in the remaining four innings, and improved to 6-0 on the season. Alexa Sivic and Kali Ball both singled in the top of the fourth.

The Falcons would use a monster two-out rally in the bottom of the fourth, plating five runs on four base hits. Jennifer Rutherford, who relieved Keerstie Robinson in the third, retired the first two hitters on a fly out and a ground out, but the Falcons managed to bat around as Nicole Blantz and Katie Souders had the big hits in the inning which both produced two runs.

Robinson took the loss, working 2.2 innings and allowing six runs (five earned) on six hits with one strikeout and two walks. Rutherford worked the final 1.1 innings and surrendered five unearned runs on five hits.

In the nightcap, Messiah struck for eight runs in the first two innings without registering an extra-base hit. Hood got on the board in the top of the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Ball. Farr led off the frame with a single, Fourcade followed with a double and Sivic drew a walk to load the bases. Ball stepped in with nobody out and lifted a fly ball to centerfield, which allowed Farr to score Hood's first run of the game. Liz Decembrino was then hit by a pitch to load the bases again. One batter later, Fourcade would come in to score on a passed ball by Becky Notte to make it 8-2.

Messiah got the run back in its half of the fourth on a fielder's choice and pushed across the game-clinching run in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI-double by Sarah Dietrich.

Fourcade increased her impressive hitting streak to 14 games while Amy Hagerdon, Farr and Sivic also contributed base hits in the losing cause.

Robinson went the distance in the circle and gave up 10 runs (eight earned) on 12 hits while fanning one batter and walking one.

The Blazers return to the Hood Softball Field Wednesday when they host Wilson College in a nonconference twinbill at 3 p.m.