New Haven, Conn. – The Albertus Magnus College softball team won both ends of a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader versus Anna Maria on Wednesday afternoon at Celentano Field. In warm and sunny conditions, the Falcons topped the AMCATS, 7-2, in the opener and scored a 10-1 triumph in five innings in the finale.
The Falcons ran their winning streak to three games and enter a weekend full of GNAC play with a 17-9 overall record and an 8-6 mark in league contests, while the AMCATS dropped to 4-23 on the spring and 2-12 in league tilts.
Game One
It was an historic game for Albertus Magnus senior outfielder Alyssa Puccilli (Milford, Conn.). With a fourth-inning bunt single, she moved into first-place in program history with 133 career hits.
In the circle, junior pitcher Shyleen Ortiz (New Britain, Conn.) earned her first win of the season for the hosts. Ortiz went the distance and allowed zero unearned runs while scattering three hits and striking out four. She retired the side in order in the second, third, fourth and seventh innings and Ortiz also took a no-hitter into the fifth frame.
The Falcons scored a run in five of their six plate appearances. At the dish, junior Amanda Jessey (East Haven, Conn.) and sophomore Daysia Wehder (Queens, N.Y.) each had two hits for Albertus Magnus. Wehder had two RBIs and classmate Melissa Castillo (Taftville, Conn.) chipped in an RBI single in the third.
On the opposite side, senior starter Angela Vousboukis went the distance and surrendered just three earned runs in a losing effort. Albertus Magnus took advantage of four AMCAT errors to plate a quartet of unearned runs.
Game Two
Sophomore Gillian Fortier (Naugatuck, Conn.) led the Falcon charge in the nightcap, going 4-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. With the four hits, Fortier now has 99 for her career and she'll look to be the ninth player in program history to record 100 hits.
Albertus Magnus won by the mercy rule for the fourth time and the second in conference play.
In the circle, Falcon sophomore Megan Ferraro (Branford, Conn.) went the distance and scattered six hits en route to her team-leading 10th win of the year. Ferraro struck out two hitters and surrendered one earned run or fewer in a start for the 10th time in 2016.
The hosts put the game out of reach with seven runs in the bottom of the third. In the frame, the first eight Falcons to come to the plate reached base safely, highlighted by six straight hits to open the stanza. During the spurt, Wehder delivered an RBI single, sophomore outfielder Kirsten McGinty (East Lyme, Conn.) had a run-scoring single, Fortier hit a single through the left side that plated a pair and sophomore Brianna Whitfield (West Islip, N.Y.) walked with the bases loaded to score a run as well. Albertus Magnus capped the scoring in the frame as Wehder hit a single up the middle that brought two Falcon runners racing home.
Albertus Magnus returns to action on Saturday, April 23, with a home conference doubleheader against Simmons that gets underway at noon. Last spring, the Falcons and Sharks split a doubleheader in Boston.
For the latest information on the softball team and Albertus Magnus athletics, follow AMCAthletics on Twitter and visit AlbertusFalcons.com.
