In game two of the Sunday afternoon doubleheader, the Albertus Magnus softball team fell to Johnson & Wales 4-3 in 10 innings in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play. Rachel Marino scored on a wild pitch to give the Wildcats the extra-inning victory.
Led by Tayla Gardner, who threw 10 innings while allowing five hits and three runs in the contest, the Wildcats edged the Falcons in hits 6-5. Gardner struck out five of the first six batters, including the first four-straight, to open the contest. She finished the game with 15 strikeouts.
Albertus scored its first run of the day as Brittney Urciuoli (Newington, Conn.) scored on a groundout by Aimee Mirto (Hamden, Conn.). Urciuoli got on base with a bunt single then advanced to second on a wild pitch. After an infield single by senior Danielle Figueroa (Bridgeport, Conn.) put runners on the corners, Urciuoli scored.
JWU tied the contest and scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 2-1 lead. Albertus answered with a run in the sixth inning led by an RBI single by freshman Veronica Hribko (East Haven, Conn.).
The score remained tied at two after seven to force extra innings. Today marked the third extra-inning game for the Falcons in the last five contests.
In the top of the eighth, the Falcons scored one run to take a 3-2 lead. Alyssa Puccilli (Milford, Conn.) was placed on second and was able to get to third on a pinch-hit sacrifice bunt by Elaina Maio (West Haven, Conn.). Puccilli later scored on an RBI groundout by Hribko.
JWU scored to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth as Cynthia Proby registered an RBI single to plate the Wildcat run and force the game to continue.
After no runs in the ninth inning, JWU held the Falcons off the scoreboard in the 10th before a wild pitch thrown by the Falcons' Amanda Green (Shelton, Conn.) allowed the final run to score.
Green walked five and struck out five batters in the contest, while giving up six hits.
The Falcons will host Wesleyan in non-conference action on Monday, April 15. Game one of the doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 5:00 p.m. at West Haven High School.
