MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - The Albertus Magnus College softball team opened the 2023 season with a pair of non-conference victories over Wilson College and Skidmore College on Sunday afternoon as part of the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic. 

The Falcons cruised past the Phoenix, in five innings, in their opener by a final score of 9-1 before taking the nightcap against the Thoroughbreds by a final score of 18-11.

THE BASICS
FINAL (G1): Albertus Magnus 9 | Wilson 1 - 5 innings (mercy rule)
FINAL (G2): Albertus Magnus 18 | Skidmore 11 - 5 innings (called due to weather)
RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (2-0) | Wilson (0-1) | Skidmore (0-1)
LOCATION: Myrtle Beach | Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic

KEY HIGHLIGHTS - Game 1

• Ivy Geloso (Beacon Falls, Conn.) kicked off the opener by giving the Falcons the early one-run lead after leading off the top of the first inning with a double before crossing home on a wild pitch. 
• Rookie Annabelle Jabs (East Hartland, Conn.) held the Phoenix scoreless in the first, inducing a pair of groundouts and a flyout to strand a leadoff double and keep Wilson off the board. 
• In the following inning, the Phoenixes loaded the bases against Jabs with one out, but a fielder's choice and a flyout neutralized the threat and sent the teams into the third frame.
• The blue-and-white exploded offensively in the top of the third, hanging a seven-spot on the scoreboard behind a two-run RBI double from Angelina Ramada (North Branford, Conn.) and a two-run RBI triple from Geloso to take an 8-0 lead.
• Erin Dighello (Wallingford, Conn.) made her season debut in the home half of the inning, relieving Jabs in the circle. The fifth-year senior locked the Pheonixes down with a 1-2-3 inning, and the teams transitioned into the fourth stanza. 
• With one out, Anna Leone (Shelton, Conn.) reached on a throwing error by the third baseman before Ramada roped a double that scored Leone from first, pushing the advantage to 9-1.
• Dighello matched her third inning with a 1-2-3 fourth, and the teams headed into the fifth inning. 
• Wilson scored a run during its final at-bat but was unable to complete the comeback, and the Falcons finished off their season-opener with a 9-1 mercy-rule victory.

IN THE CIRCLE - Game 1
WP: Erin Dighello (W, 1-0) | 3.0 IP | 1 R | 0 ER | 1 H | 1 BB | 1 K  
LP: Marina Monsalve (L, 0-1) | 2.1 IP | 5 R | 4 ER | 6 H | 2 BB | 0 K 

AT THE PLATE - Game 1

• Geloso, Ramada, and Peyton Davis (North Haven, Con.) finished with two hits apiece.  
• Ramada recorded three RBIs, while Geloso drove in two. 
• Janelle Franklin (Middletown, Conn.), Leone, Ava Gladwin (Guilford, Conn.), and Erin Molkenthin (East Haddam, Conn.) also recorded hits for the Falcons.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS - Game 2

• Skidmore opened up the top of the first inning with three runs to take the early lead. 
• The Falcons scored a run in the bottom of the second off of a Thoroughbred error to make it a 3-1 game heading into the third inning. 
• Skidmore tacked on an additional run in the top of the third, 4-1, until an explosive inning from the Falcons in the bottom half of the frame put the blue-and-white ahead by one, 5-4. 
• The third inning was highlighted by a pair of RBI singles from Ramada and Breanna Saldivar (Middletown, Conn.). 
• Skidmore roared back with a five-spot in the top of the fourth to regain the lead, 9-5. 
• Albertus came right back with a volcanic 10-run inning in the bottom of the frame as the Falcons capitalized on seven walks and four hits, including two three-run RBI doubles from Davis and Leone.
• The Thoroughbreds managed to score a pair of runs in the top of the fifth to cut the deficit to four, 15-11, but the Falcons got it right back in the bottom of the frame scoring an additional three runs to increase their lead to seven, 18-11. 
• Skidmore's offense was unable to respond in the following inning as the game was called due to inclement weather.  

IN THE CIRCLE - Game 2
WP: Emillee Bishop (East Haven, Conn.) (W, 1-0) | 2.0 IP | 5 R | 5 ER | 4 H | 3 BB | 3 K 
LP: Lindsay Raimondi (L, 0-1) | 4.2 IP | 18 R | 7 ER | 9 H | 14 BB | 2 K 

AT THE PLATE - Game 2

• Saldivar had three hits, two runs scored, a stolen base, and an RBI.
• Ramada was 2-for-2 with three walks; three runs scored, and two RBIs. 
• Leone finished with five RBIs. 
• Davis was 2-for-3 with a double; two runs scored, and three RBIs.

NOTEWORTHY

• Jabs, Bishop, Leone, and Megan Cross (North Haven, Conn.) made their collegiate debuts in today's doubleheader. 
• The Falcons are 2-0 all-time against Skidmore College and 1-0 all-time against Wilson College. 
• Albertus' 18-run outburst is the highest in a season since the 2020 season when they defeated Wells College by a final score of 23-5. 
• Interim head coach Carli Matrisian recorded her first collegiate win as head coach following the Falcons' victory against Wilson.  

UP NEXT
The Falcons return to the diamond tomorrow, March 13, as the Falcons challenge the Mules of Muhlenberg College in the morning tilt at 11 AM before taking on the Red Dragons of SUNY Cortland in the nightcap at 1 PM.