WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - The Albertus Magnus College softball team split a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader against in-state rival the University of Saint Joseph (CT) Saturday afternoon. The Falcons took Game one, 2-1, in extra innings, before the Blue Jays came back to secure a game two victory, 4-0.

THE BASICS - G1
FINAL: Albertus Magnus 2 | Saint Joseph (CT) 1 (9 innings)
MEETING: This is the 54th and 55th all-time meeting between the Falcons and Blue Jays
LOCATION: USJ Softball Field
BOX SCORE

HOW IT HAPPENED - G1
The opening game was highlighted by a pitching duel between Albertus' Laura Anderson (East Haven, Conn.) and USJ's Alessandra Milardo. The two aces combined to pitch the first five innings without allowing a run.

The first run of the game came off the bat of Erin Molkenthin (East Haddam, Conn.), who plated Anderson with an RBI double to left field.

USJ answered in the bottom of the seventh with a run from Taylor Verboven, who drove home Michelle Woodruff with a single.

With the score tied at 1-all, the Falcons and Blue Jays headed to extra innings. Peyton Davis (North Haven, Conn.) broke the tie with a single to left that scored Ava Gladwin (Guilford, Conn.) from third.

Anderson slammed the door shut in the bottom of the ninth to pick up her fifth win of the season. The senior allowed five hits all day with four strikeouts.

TOP PERFORMERS
• WP: Laura Anderson (W, 5-2) | LP: Alessandra Milardo (L, 1-3)
• Laura Anderson: 2-for-4, Run scored
• Erin Molkenthin: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI
• Peyton Davis: 1-for-3, RBI

THE BASICS - G2
FINAL: Saint Joseph (CT) 4 | Albertus Magnus 0
RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (7-5, 7-3 GNAC) |Saint Joseph (CT) (6-4, 6-4 GNAC)
LOCATION: USJ Softball Field
BOX SCORE

HOW IT HAPPENED - G2
Angela Grindrod (Stratford, Conn.) started in the circle for the Falcons in Game 2. The Blue Jays came out swinging to start the second game, tagging the rookie hurler for three runs on one hit and an error to take an early 3-0 lead.

Bernadette Kingsbury (Trumbull, Conn.) relieved Grindrod in the first and stymied the rally, recording a pair of groundouts and a strikeout to end the inning.

The Blue Jays put runners on in each of the next two innings but failed to score a run. Meanwhile, USJ hurler Natalie Amato dominated the Falcons offense through the opening three frames, going through the Falcon lineup perfectly the first time through and recording a pair of strikeouts.

Albertus got the offense in motion in the fourth inning, as Gladwin laid down a bunt base hit to break up Amato's perfect game. She stole second before Anderson worked a walk to put two on with one out. Unfortunately for the Falcons, that would be all the offense that they were capable of in that inning, as Amato slammed the door by recording the next two outs.

Kingsbury worked around a walk to hold the Blue Jays scoreless in the fourth, and the teams transitioned to the fifth inning, with the Blue Jays holding the 3-0 lead.

The Falcons managed just two hits over the final three frames, as Jess Stettinger (East Haven, Conn.) singled and stole second in the sixth, and Ivy Geloso (Beacon Falls, Conn.) tallied a base hit to center in the seventh.

The Blue Jays tacked on an insurance run in the fifth to take a 4-0 advantage but failed to score for the remainder of the game. Kingsbury finished the contest for the Falcons, throwing six innings of one-run ball and scattering five hits while racking up eight strikeouts.

TOP PERFORMERS
• WP: Natalie Amato (5-0) | LP: Angela Grindrod (1-1)
• Bernadette Kingsbury: 6 IP, 1 R, 5 H, 2 BB, 8 K
• Jess Stettinger: 1-for-3, SB
• Ava Gladwin: 1-for-3, SB