FINAL SCORE: Johnson & Wales 13 | Albertus Magnus 12
TEAM RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (28-14) | Johnson & Wales (32-7)
WINNING PITCHER: Caitlin Kiene (1-1) – 1.1 IP | 2H | 2R | 3BB | 2SO
LOSING PITCHER: Laura Anderson (12-5) – 1.0 IP | 4H | 5R | 1BB | 1SO
Providence, R.I. – Despite rallying three runs on one hit in the top of the seventh, the Albertus Magnus College softball team fell short, 13-12, against top-seeded Johnson & Wales University on Thursday evening at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Complex in the second round of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Tournament.
Following tonight's loss, the Falcons will play in an elimination game on Saturday May 6th against #6 Norwich at 10 a.m.
HOW IT HAPPENED
(T) 2 INNING – Senior Rachel Cataudella (Shelton, Conn.) broke the silence in the top of the second for the visitors, recording her first home run of the year as she hit a deep ball over the left field fence to give the Falcons the 1-0 edge.
(T) 3 INNING – The Falcons continued to swing the bat and extended their lead to four, 4-1, after posting a three-run inning in the top of the third. With two outs, Laura Anderson (East Haven, Conn.) drove in the first run of the inning on a double to left before advancing to third on a single from Melissa Castillo (Taftville, Conn.). A batter later, Anderson would cross home for the final run of the inning thanks to a RBI from Marissa Guglielmi (Branford, Conn.)
(B) 4 INNING – After three scoreless innings, Emily Gorecki put the Wildcats on the board after collecting her 11th home run of the season as well as drove in two runs to cut the lead in half, 4-2.
(T) 5 INNING – Freshman Laura Anderson (East Haven, Conn.) gave the Falcons the three-run lead, 5-2, in the top of the fifth after allowing junior Gillian Fortier (Naugatuck, Conn.) to cross home for the fifth run of the game on a RBI single to center.
(B) 5 INNING – However, bats came alive for Johnson & Wales in the top of the fifth as the hosts tallied six-runs on four hits and a Falcon error to take an 8-5 lead. Diana Amendolara scored three of the Wildcats' six runs in the fifth on a home run down the left field line.
(T) 6 INNING – A half inning later, Albertus Magnus rallied together four runs to regain the lead, 9-8. With one out and runners on the corners, Fortier would get the rally going with a RBI single down the right field line, forcing the hosts to go to their bull pen for relief. Two batters later, Johnson and Wales would find themselves with bases loaded and the Falcons managed to score three straight runs on back-to-back RBI from Castillo and Guglielmi and a RBI walk from Cataudella. However, the Falcons' threat came to end with a strikeout, stranding three runners on base.
(B) 6 INNING - The Wildcats continued to remain hot at the plate and took over the lead, 13-9 after scoring five runs in the bottom of the sixth. Anderson was unable to keep the Wildcats at bat as Brenna DuPerry tripled down the left field line, scoring two runs, before Meghan Gavin sent DuPerry home on a sacrifice bunt. Emily Gorecki would drive in the final two runs of the inning on an one-out double throught the left side.
(T) 7 INNING - With two outs, Anderson woud keep the Falcons' hopes alive with a three-run RBI homer to bring the score to within one, 13-12, but Castillo would earn the final out of the game with a pop up to second.
INSIDE THE STATS
- The Falcons finished tonight's game with 13 hits, 12 RBI, four walks and seven strikeouts.
- Johnson & Wales registered 10 hits, 13 RBI, two walks and a strikeout.
- Anderson and Fortier paced the Falcons' offense with three hits while Anderson recorded a season-high six RBI.Fortier and Anderson also registerd a team-high three runs scored.
- Megan Ferraro (Branford, Conn.) and Kristen Cunning (Hoboken, N.J.) made appearances on the mound for the Falcons.
- Three different player registered two hits a piece for the Wildcats.Emily Gorecki added a team-high four RBI to her stat lline.
GNAC TOURNAMENT
First Round - Tuesday, May 2 (single elimination)
Game 1: #8 Simmons 6, #5 St. Joseph (Conn.) 4
Game 2: #6 Norwich 7, #7 Emmanuel 2
Second Round - Thursday, May 4 (double-elim begins)
Game 3: #4 Albertus Magnus 4, #8 Simmons 0
Game 4: #3 Suffolk 4,
Game 5: #1 Johnson & Wales 13, #4 Albertus Magnus 12
Game 6: #3 Suffolk 5, #2 Saint Joseph's Maine 2
Semifinals - Saturday, May 6 (hosted by #1 JWU)
Game 7: #6 Norwich vs. #4 Albertus Magnus (elim game) - 10:00 AM
Game 8: #8 Simmons vs. #2 Saint Joseph's Maine (elim game) - 12:30 PM
Game 9: #1 Johnson & Wales vs. #3 Suffolk - 3:00 PM
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner (elim game) - 5:30 PM
Championship - Sunday, May 7 (hosted by #1 JWU)
Game 11: Game 9 loser vs. Game 10 winner (elim game) - 10:00 AM
Game 12: Game 11 winner vs. Game 9 winner - 12:30 PM
Game 13: if necessary - 3:00 PM