The Albertus Magnus softball team fell to Suffolk in back-to-back Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) contests on Saturday afternoon in Boston. The Rams took game one in five innings with a 9-1 win before winning game two 3-2.
Game One:
Suffolk scored first, pushing out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Suffolk's Nicole Rosa singled in two runs to aid in the Rams' early lead. Albertus cut the lead to one in the second inning as Rachel Cataudella (Shelton, Conn.) plated sophomore Alyssa Puccilli (Milford, Conn.) with an RBI single.
Suffolk answered in the bottom half of the inning with three more runs to take a 5-1 lead. Emily Martel homered for the Rams for the first run of the inning before Rosa was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to give Suffolk its fourth run of the ballgame. Meredith Ball added an RBI single in the frame.
Suffolk added the final four runs of the contest in the bottom of the fourth inning. Ball homered to plate three runs before Nicole Cignarella registered an RBI double to score Martel and give the Rams a 9-1 win.
Kim Crucioli earned her 12th win of the year for the Rams as she struck out six and allowed seven hits.
Brianna Longley (Milford, Conn.) allowed nine runs on 14 hits in four innings of work for Albertus.
Game Two:
Game two of the Saturday GNAC doubleheader was a much closer contest as the Falcons fell to Suffolk 3-2.
After three scoreless innings, the Falcons struck first as Carli Matrisian (Milford, Conn.) hit her team-leading third home run of the season giving Albertus a 1-0 lead. The Rams answered in the bottom of the inning when Ball scored on a wild pitch to tie the contest at one.
The Rams took the lead when Rose singled in the fifth to plate another Suffolk run. In the top of the seventh, the Falcons tied the game at two as Matrisian connected on a two-out single to pick up her second RBI of the game.
In the final frame, the Rams were able to register the walk-off victory as Ball connected on a two-out double to left field, which scored the Suffolk's third and final run of the game. Sarah Chasse earned the win as she helped her own cause with a 3-for-4 performance, while scoring the game-winning run. On the hill she recorded seven strikeouts as well.
Amanda Jessey finished the game 3-for-4 with one run scored along with her first triple of the season. Alyssa Puccilli (Milford, Conn.) added two hits as well.
Shyleen Ortiz (New Britain, Conn.) fell to 8-4 on the year as she gave up three runs on 12 hits and a walk.
Albertus will head to West Hartford, Conn. on Monday to face the University of Saint Joseph in its final regular-season contests of the year.
