NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The Albertus Magnus College softball team split a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader to the Blue Jays of the University of Saint Joseph (CT) on Saturday afternoon at the Shea Softball Complex. The Falcons claimed game one, 2-1, but the Blue Jays came back firing on all cylinders, claiming game two by a score of 5-2.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE (GAME 1): Albertus Magnus 2 | Saint Joseph (USJ) 1
MATCH-UP: This is the 51st and 52nd all-time meeting between these two teams.
LOCATION: Shea Softball Complex | New Haven, Conn.
BOX SCORE

HOW IT HAPPENED
After two scoreless innings, the Falcon bats came alive in the bottom half of the third. Sophomore Janelle Franklin (Middletown, Conn.) got the Falcons going with a long double down the left-field line. Junior Jess Stettinger (East Haven, Conn.) followed with a drive to right field that was misplayed by a Blue Jay defender, scoring Franklin easily for the first run of the game. With Stettinger in scoring position, a passed ball scored Stettinger and gave the hosts the 2-0 lead.

Freshman Angela Grindrod (Stratford, Conn.) continued to dominate the Blue Jay offense, holding the visitors to goose eggs through the fourth, the only base runner coming via a walk from Frankie Ferrante. The Falcon bats were likewise held in check by USJ pitcher Alessandra Milardo, with Angelina Ramada's (North Branford, Conn.) double into left-field being the only Falcon threat in the fourth.  

The Blue Jays opened the fifth inning with two quick outs before Michelle Woodruff started things off with a single and then promptly stole second base. Milardo followed with an RBI-single to left field, before being thrown out at second to end the inning. The Falcons were unable to capitalize in the bottom half of the fifth, going down 1-2-3.

Junior Kayla Resto (Shelton, Conn.) relieved Grindrod in the circle to start the sixth. The Blue Jays threatened in the top of the inning, putting two runners on with one out before Megan Burke lined into a double play to end the inning. The Falcons went 3-up 3-down in the bottom of the sixth, bringing the teams into the final frame, with the Falcons clinging to their 2-1 lead.

The Blue Jays attempted to mount a comeback in the seventh, putting Kacy O'Connor on first via a single with one out. The effort was in vain, however, as Resto retired the final two hitters to preserve the 2-1 victory for the hosts.    

TOP PERFORMERS

• WP: Angela Grindrod (Stratford, Conn.) (1-0) | LP: Alessandra Milardo (0-1) | Kayla Resto (Shelton, Conn.) (S1)
• Stettinger, Franklin, and Ramada each registered a hit for the Falcons.
• USJ was led offensively by Michelle Woodruff, who recorded two hits and a run scored.
• The Blue Jays managed to out-hit the Falcons, 6-3, but solid pitching from Grindrod and Resto kept the visitors at bay.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE (GAME 2): St. Joseph (Conn.) 5 | Albertus Magnus 2
RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (1-3, 1-1 GNAC) | St. Joseph (Conn.) (1-1, 1-1 GNAC)
LOCATION: Shea Softball Complex | New Haven, Conn.
BOX SCORE

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Blue Jays got off to a hot start in the first against fifth-year senior Laura Anderson (East Haven, Conn.), plating three runs on three hits and a Falcon error to take the early 3-0 advantage. 

Stettinger cut the visitors' lead to within two, 3-1, in the bottom half of the inning by recording her first home run of the season, a long blast over the right-center field fence. A Franklin ground out brought Anderson to the plate, who promptly laced a double into the right-center field gap. Blue Jays hurler Natalie Amato would stymie the Falcon surge, retiring the final two hitters to keep the visitors in the driver's seat.

The Blue Jays picked up right where they left off in the first, putting two on with two out in the top of the second. A Milardo single scored both runners, increasing the visitor lead to 5-1 before Anderson retired O'Connor to end the inning. The Falcons were unable to respond in the bottom half of the frame, going 3-up-3-down.

The pitchers found their groove after that, with Anderson retiring six straight through the third and fourth innings, and Amato retiring six of seven, the lone blemish being a walk from Franklin.

The Falcons continued to rally in the bottom of the fifth scoring one run on two hits and a Blue Jay error. With two outs and a runner on first, Stettinger reached base on an error by the third baseman, putting runners on the corners for Franklin. A hard single by Franklin plated Fatima Rosales (East Elmhurst, N.Y.), cutting the visitor lead to three, 5-2.

The Blue Jays managed a single hit in the top of the sixth, with Anderson continuing to hold the visitors' run total to five. In the bottom of the sixth, the Falcons managed a baserunner via error but were unable to capitalize, sending the teams into the final inning.

Anderson retired the Blue Jays in the seventh on a pair of groundouts and a fielder's choice, giving the Falcons one final opportunity to sweep the day.  

Despite a Rosales single into center field, the Falcons were unable to answer the call in the last inning and dropped a hard-luck loss to the Blue Jays by a score of 5-2.         

TOP PERFORMERS

• WP: Natalie Amato (1-0)  | LP: Laura Anderson (0-2) 
• Rosales finished game two with a team-best two hits and a run scored, while Stettinger, Franklin, and Anderson added a hit apiece. 
• USJ's Brianna Barfield paced the offensive unit at the plate with two hits.
• The Blue Jays out-hit the Falcons for the second straight game, 6-5.