GRANTHAM, Pa. — Seniors Ella Baynes and Colin Horton each scored three goals for the St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s lacrosse team, but it wasn’t enough to overcome No. 25 Messiah University, which surged to a 16-9 victory on Saturday, March 22, 2025. The Seahawks (2-6) dropped their second straight non-conference game as the host Falcons (4-4) used a pair of decisive runs to secure their second consecutive win.
The game started competitively, with the teams trading the first four goals to tie at 2-2 with 4:53 left in the first quarter. St. Mary’s then seized momentum as senior captain Hailey Betch and Horton scored four minutes apart, giving the Seahawks a 4-2 lead entering the second period. Horton struck again unassisted at the 11-minute mark, pushing the advantage to 7-4. After Messiah trimmed it to 6-4, Baynes restored the three-goal cushion at 7-4 with 9:31 left in the half.
Messiah responded with a game-changing 6-0 run spanning 20 minutes, flipping a 7-4 deficit into a 10-7 lead by the third quarter’s 1:32 mark. Sophomore attacker Grace Maurice halted the Falcons’ surge with a goal at the 24-second mark, cutting it to 10-8 heading into the fourth. However, Messiah dominated the final frame, rattling off six unanswered goals over 12 minutes to build a 16-8 lead with 1:59 remaining. Baynes added a late tally, but the outcome was sealed.
The Falcons outshot St. Mary’s 39-24 (25-17 on goal) and forced 11 of the Seahawks’ 19 turnovers, finishing with a +6 turnover margin (13-19). Messiah also controlled ground balls 25-15. Despite the loss, St. Mary’s excelled in draw controls, winning 18 of 28, led by sophomore defender Claire Boudreau’s career-high-tying 10. The Seahawks struggled on free-position shots, converting just 1 of 7 attempts.
Baynes and Horton paced St. Mary’s with three goals each, while Maurice added two. Betch contributed a goal and two assists. Junior defender Carsyn Smith led the defense with three ground balls, and junior goalkeeper Isabel Gautreaux made 10 saves in 44:19. Messiah’s attack was powered by Hayley Lettinga and Jordan Lewicki, each with four goals, and Grace Pettit, who posted seven points on three goals and four assists. Goalkeeper Grace Hejeebu stopped nine shots.
St. Mary’s showed early promise, building leads of 4-2 and 7-4, but couldn’t sustain it against a Messiah squad ranked 25th in the latest Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association poll. The Falcons’ depth shone through, with 10 players recording points, per Messiah athletics. St. Mary’s, meanwhile, leaned heavily on its seniors, who accounted for seven of the team’s nine goals.
The loss drops St. Mary’s to 2-6, a challenging start for a program that finished 8-9 in 2024, according to its athletics site. Messiah’s victory improves its record to 4-4, building momentum after a 14-10 win over Elizabethtown on March 19. The Falcons’ ability to capitalize on turnovers and convert 4 of 8 free-position shots proved decisive.
Next up, St. Mary’s travels to Chester, Pa., to face Widener University (3-5) on March 29 at 1 p.m. at Edith R. Dixon Field. The Seahawks aim to snap their skid against a Pride team coming off a 15-9 loss to No. 11 York, per Widener athletics.
