The Fords won their sixth elimination game of the postseason with a 6-5 win in the completion of Saturday's game before dropping a 3-1 game in the series finale.
A four-run fifth inning for Messiah was the difference in the best-of-three series opener. The Fords and Falcons are scheduled to play game two Saturday at 12 p.m.
The Fords begin the best-of-three series with Messiah after advancing from the Norfolk, Virginia regional which featured the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the entire country.
Sara Tauriello, Kristin Tatum, Miwa Wenzel, and Emily Winesett each received their degrees on Monday after each was unable to make the graduation as they were helping the Fords make the NCAA Super Regional for the first time in school history.
The Fords had 91 student-athletes recognized on the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll for the spring season - the most of any school in the conference.
Koshinski (first team), Tauriello (second team), Tatum (second team), Blake (honorable mention), and Chambers (honorable mention) were named All-Centennial selections for the softball team.
Award winners were (from left to right): Nora Weathers (Kannerstein), Sara Rennert (Haddleton), Jamie Ulrich (Haddleton), Ben Krieger (Haddleton), Dhario DeSousa (Haddleton), Charlie Marquardt (Varsity Cup), Sam Yarosh (Varsity Cup & Cary Award).
The Fords were edged out by top-seeded Washington College, 3-2, to start the day. They will need three straight victories on Sunday to clinch the conference's automatic bid.
The Fords are now tied for the third place in the Centennial Conference and just two games out of first after their first conference sweep of the season.