The Albertus Magnus softball team will compete in its second-straight Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament beginning on Friday as the Falcons will be the second seed in the postseason playoffs. Albertus will play its first postseason game on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. at West Haven High School.
After finishing the regular season with a 22-11 overall record and a 16-5 mark in GNAC play, the Falcons earned the second seed – their highest for the program since the late 1990s.
The Falcons' 22 wins so far this season are also the most for the program since Albertus tallied 23 victories in the 2002 campaign. The Falcons' 16 wins in league play are the most in over a decade as well.
This year will mark the Falcons' 11th all-time appearance in the GNAC Tournament as the Falcons hold an all-time record of 7-12 in tournament action. The softball program last won the GNAC Tournament title in 1997, while the program has never competed in the NCAA Tournament.
As the #2 seed, the Falcons will host two games on Friday night at West Haven High School. In GNAC Tournament play, the top-four seeds get byes on Tuesday.
The winner of Tuesday night's 7:00 p.m. contest featuring #7 University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) at #6 Emmanuel will face #3 Saint Joseph's College of Maine at 5:00 p.m. on Friday night at West Haven High School. The winner of that 5:00 p.m. Friday night contest will take on the Falcons at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
The Falcons are just 0-1 in GNAC Tournament play against the teams on their side of the bracket (those mentioned above). The Falcons faced Emmanuel College once in GNAC Tournament action, falling to the Saints 3-2 on May 5, 1998. Albertus has never competed against the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) or Saint Joseph's College of Maine in the GNAC Tournament.
The complete GNAC bracket can be seen below or by clicking this link.
The Falcons are led this season by freshman Gillian Fortier (Naugatuck, Conn.) who is batting .500 on the season with a team-high 53 hits, 33 runs scored, nine doubles, four home runs, and 29 RBI. Freshman Samantha Maselli (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) leads the league in wins with 13 on the year as she is 13-3 overall and 13-1 in league play. She has also pitched 13 complete games, recorded two saves, and has fanned 65 batters.
First Round - Tuesday, April 21 (single elimination)
Game 1: #8 Mount Ida at #5 Johnson & Wales - 4:00 p.m.
Game 2: #7 Saint Joseph (Conn.) at #6 Emmanuel - 7:00 p.m.
Second Round - Friday, April 24 (double elimination begins)
Game 3: Game 1 winner vs. #4 Simmons at #1 Suffolk - TBA
Game 4: Game 2 winner vs. #3 Saint Joseph's Maine at #2 Albertus Magnus - 5:00 p.m.
Game 5: Game 3 winner at #1 Suffolk - TBA
Game 6: Game 4 winner at #2 Albertus Magnus - 7:00 p.m.
Semifinals - Saturday, April 25 (Hosted by Suffolk)
Game 7: Game 4 loser vs. Game 5 loser (elimination game) - 10:00 a.m.
Game 8: Game 3 loser vs. Game 6 loser (elimination game) - 12:15 p.m.
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner - 2:30 p.m.
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner (elimination game) - 4:45 p.m.
Championship - Sunday, April 26 (Hosted by Suffolk)
Game 11: Game 9 loser vs. Game 10 winner (elimination game) - 10:00 a.m.
Game 12: Game 9 winner vs Game 11 winner - 12:15 p.m.
Game 13: if necessary
