LEESBURG, Fla. — In back-to-back victories, the Albertus Magnus College softball team opened the 2024 campaign in the Sunshine State after notching double-digit runs against Wilmington College (Ohio) and Saint Mary's College (Ind.) on Sunday. The Falcons swept their non-conference doubleheader after defeating the Quakers, 10-2, and the Belles 12-6 off the bats of Paige Scheid (Cedar Grove, N.J.) with a team-leading four runs and Hailey Laforte (Branford, Conn.), who posted a team-high four runs batted in. Scheid also brought home a trio of Falcons, while Laforte recorded three runs. 

GAME 1

THE BASICS

FINAL: Albertus Magnus 10 | Wilmington College (Ohio) 2

RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (1-0) | Wilmington College (Ohio) (1-3)

BOX

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Falcons opened up the first inning a half with seven unanswered runs ignited by a sacrifice fly by Erin Molkenthin (East Haddam, Conn.) to centerfield and allowed Scheid to cross the plate. In three straight at-bats, Albertus delivered a trio of singles to allow Isabelle Smith (Meriden, Conn.), Colleen Edwards (Clinton, Conn.) and Alexis Enjem (Derby, Conn.) to score and put up the team up, 5-0.
• With the bags loaded, Scheid returned to the plate for Albertus Magnus and walked to allow Amanda Savinelli (New Haven, Conn.) to tally another run in the opening inning. Savinelli padded the lead with another run off an error by first base to send Molkenthin home.
• Scheid and Molkenthin singled in the fifth to allow Amelia Boulli (Torrington, Conn.) and Savinelli to drive in a pair of runs to cap off a 10-2 victory.
• Wilmington had runners at second and third in the third and fifth frames, but couldn't score a run.

ON THE HILL

Albertus

Amanda Savinelli (W, 1-0) 3 IP | 2 R | 2 ER | 6 H | 2 K

Annabelle Jabs 2 IP | 1 H | 2 BB | 3 K

Wilmington (Ohio)

Hilary Huffer 4.1 IP | 4 R | 1 ER | 6 H | 4 K

Kori Cornett (L, 0-1) 0.2 IP | 6 R | 4 H | 4 BB

AT THE PLATE

Albertus

Erin Molkenthin 2-for-3 | 1 R | 3 RBI

Amanda Savinelli 2-for-3 | 2 R | 1 RBI

Paige Scheid 1-for-3 | 1 R | 2 RBI | 1 BB

Wilmington (Ohio)

Chloe Dorn 1-for-1 | 1 R | 1 RBI | 1 BB

Alasandra Spears 1-for-2 | 1 R

NOTEWORTHY

• Only one of the 10 Falcons runs was earned.

GAME 2

THE BASICS

FINAL: Albertus Magnus 12 | Saint Mary's College (Ind.) 6

RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (2-0) | Saint Mary's College (Ind.) (0-2)

BOX

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Belles had a chance to get on the scoreboard in the top of the second. Sam Mikitka laced a single to the right-center gap, and Leah Zimmerman added a single up the middle to put a pair on with two outs, but a foul pop-up was caught by Megan Cross (North Haven, Conn.) to stop the scoring chance for Saint Mary's.
• Albertus Magnus used a big second inning to gain much momentum as the Falcons posted eight runs in their at-bats highlighted by a triple to right field by Laforte as Gianna Carrano (West Haven, Conn.), Lucy Rodriguez (New Britain, Conn.) and Boulli racked up three runs. The team padded the lead as Scheid doubled to right center as Laforte scored and capped off by a two-bagger by Boulli to bring home Anjem and Molkenthin.
• The Falcons added two more in the third off a sac fly by Edwards to drive Laforte home and Scheid scored off a wild pitch to gain a 10-0 lead.
• The Belles broke through into the scoring column in the top of the fourth inning. Mikitka doubled to right center which allowed Rylee Hershberger and McKenna Myers to score, followed by a bunt single by McKenna Shoupe to drive in Madi Ingolia as the Falcons still led, 9-3.
• The Falcons got a run back in the bottom of the fourth as Smith singled to the pitcher to allow Enjem to cross home, but the Belles came right back with two more runs of their own in the top of the fifth.
• Albertus capped off the victory after Kaitlyn Cunningham (Lakeville, Conn.) plated the final run in the fifth inning off a single to right field before advancing to second base on the throw and giving Scheid to time to tally a run.

ON THE HILL

Albertus

Skylar Arent 3 IP | 2 H

Ema Signore 2 IP | 5 R | 3 ER | 6 H

Annabelle Jabs (W, 1-0) 2 IP | 1 H | 1 R | 3 K

Saint Mary's (Ind.)

Libby Bierbaum (L, 0-1) 2 IP | 8 R | 4 ER | 5 H | 3 BB | 2 K

Mary Charniak 4 IP | 4 R | 3 H | 1 ER | 2 BB | 1 K

AT THE PLATE

Albertus

Paige Scheid 2-for-4 | 3 R | 1 RBI

Hailey Laforte 1-for-2 | 2 R | 3 RBI | 1 BB

Colleen Edwards 2-for-2 | 1 R | 2 RBI

Saint Mary's (Ind.)

McKenna Myers 1-for-4 | 2 R

Sam Mikitka 2-for-2 | 2 R

NOTEWORTHY

• Albertus tied the all-time record 1-1, with the last meeting between the teams from the 2000 season.

UP NEXT

The Falcons remain in the Sunshine State with a 10 a.m. matchup against the Milwaukee School of Engineering, followed by a contest with the University of Wisconsin-Platteville at 2:30 p.m. in Leesburg, Fla.