NASHUA, N.H. - The Albertus Magnus College softball team concluded its regular season on Friday night with a doubleheader split against Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) non-divisional challenger Rivier University. The Falcons took game one by a final score of 2-1 before suffering a 7-0 setback in the nightcap. 

Anna Leone (Shelton, Conn.) led the Falcons offensively in the doubleheader, as the freshman backstop tallied four hits, including a pair of doubles, to go along with one RBI. 

Erin Dighello (Wallingford, Conn.) hurled a complete-game victory in game one, throwing eight innings of one-run ball while scattering six hits and two walks and striking out three.      

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE (G1):  Albertus Magnus 2 | Rivier 1 - 8 innings 
FINAL SCORE (G2):  Rivier 7 | Albertus Magnus 0
RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (22-18, 9-3 GNAC) | Rivier (18-22, 4-6 GNAC) 
BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2 

KEY HIGHLIGHTS - Game 1

• The pitchers controlled the action in the first inning. Rivier's Sydney Greeno set the Falcons down in order in the top of the first inning before Falcon's hurler Dighello mirrored Greeno's inning with a 1-2-3 frame of her own that included a strikeout and a pair of groundouts. 
• Peyton Davis (North Haven, Conn.) sparked the blue-and-white's offense in the top of the second, lacing a lead-off single into left field. A Raiders' error put Leone on the base paths and advanced Davis to second base. Greeno recorded the next two outs before a walk to Fatima Rosales (East Elmhurst, N.Y.) loaded the bases. Karissa Kerrs (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) then stepped to the plate and ripped an RBI single back up the middle into center field to score Davis from third and give the Falcons the early 1-0 advantage. 
• The Raiders responded in the bottom of the second inning, tying the game 1-all with their own tally on a pair of hits and a walk. 
• The Falcons put two on in the third inning but were unable to push across the go-ahead run. Dighello surrendered a pair of two-out singles in the bottom of the frame and managed to wiggle out of a jam with an inning-ending pop-out to preserve the 1-1 tie.  
• Greeno and Dighello continued to battle each other from there as Greeno silenced the Falcons' bats through the seventh inning, surrendering three singles over the next four innings and keeping AMC off the scoreboard. Dighello matched her zero-for-zero, allowing just a pair of hits and a walk to keep the game tied 1-1 after seven frames.   
• The teams moved into the eighth inning, and the international tie-breaker rule came into effect. The Falcons placed Janelle Franklin (Middletown, Conn.) on second base to start the eighth. A sacrifice bunt from Angelina Ramada (North Branford, Conn.) moved Franklin to third base, but Greeno struck out the next hitter for the second out. 
• With two outs and the go-ahead run on third base, Leone turned on a pitch and drove an RBI single into left field to give the Falcons the 2-1 lead. Ivy Geloso (Beacon Falls, Conn.) followed with her own single to extend the Falcons' rally, but Greeno slammed the door from there with an inning-ending groundout.  
• The Raiders placed Sarah Frazier on second to start the bottom of the eighth and moved her to third when Hayley Rapaglia dropped down a sacrifice bunt. Dighello squashed the hosts' hopes for a comeback retiring the final two hitters with a lineout and a groundout to preserve the Falcons' 2-1 victory.  

IN THE CIRCLE
WP: Erin Dighello (W, 8-4) - 8.0 IP | 6 H | 1 R | 1 ER | 2 BB | 3 SO
LP: Sydney Greeno (L, 7-10) - 8.0 IP | 8 H | 2 R | 0 ER | 2 BB | 2 SO

AT THE PLATE

• Leone was 2-for-4 with an RBI. 
• Saldivar was 2-for-4. 
• Kerrs was 1-for-3 with an RBI. 
• Davis and Franklin both scored for the Falcons. 

KEY HIGHLIGHTS - Game 2

• The Falcons went down in order in the top of the first inning against Raider's hurler Nicole Verrette. Falcon's starter Annabelle Jabs (East Hartland, Conn.), pitched a scoreless first inning, working around a lead-off single with a foul out and a pair of strikeouts. 
• Verrette hurled another 1-2-3 frame in the top of the second before the Raiders scored two runs in the bottom of the frame.    
• The pitchers dominated the third inning, as Verrette hurled another three-up, three-down inning, and Jabs stranded a lead-off single with a pair of pop-outs and a fly-out. 
• In the fourth inning, Ramada finally broke through against Verrette, wrecking the senior's perfect game with a two-out single into right field before advancing to second base when the right fielder misplayed the hit. Verrette recovered and induced a fly-out to left field to end the inning and keep the Falcons off the board. 
• Jabs held the Raiders in check in the bottom of the fourth, stranding a lead-off error with three straight outs to keep the deficit at 2-0 heading into the fifth inning. 
• Leone led off the fifth with a double but was stranded when Verrette set the next three hitters down in order.  
• The Raiders tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a commanding 5-0 lead. 
• In the top of the sixth, Franklin laced a two-out single but was left on base when Verrette retired the next hitter to end the inning. 
• Rivier expanded their lead in the bottom of the sixth with another pair of runs to take a 7-0 advantage into the seventh inning. 
• Leone rocketed a one-out double down the left field line, but Verrette was unfazed, inducing the final two outs to secure the 7-0 shutout victory over the Falcons.    

IN THE CIRCLE
WP: Nicole Verrette (W, 6-7) - 7.0 IP | 4 H | 0 R | 0 ER | 0 BB | 1 SO
LP: Annabelle Jabs (L, 5-5) - 4.0 IP | 3 H | 2 R | 2 ER | 2 BB | 4 SO 

AT THE PLATE

• Leone was 2-for-3 with two doubles. 
• Franklin and Ramada recorded a hit each. 

UP NEXT
The Falcons have now concluded their regular season and will look ahead to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) playoffs. Please check the Albertus athletics website, the Albertus social media channels, and the GNAC website for updated information regarding the conference tournament, seeding, and pertinent game information.