Boston, Mass. - Behind a five home run performance, including two home runs a piece from juniors Gillian Fortier (Naugatuck, Conn.) and Melissa Castillo (Taftville, Conn.), the Albertus Magnus College softball team swept GNAC foe Emmanuel (Mass.) College on Saturday afternoon at Clemente Field. The Falcons took game one 5-1 before rallying back in game two, 6-5, after Castillo hit a two-run blast in the top of the seventh to give the Falcons the walk-off win.

TEAM RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (26-12, 14-6) | Emmanuel (15-19, 12-10)

FINAL SCORE (G1): Albertus Magnus 5 | Emmanuel 1

LOSING PITCHER: J. Kilcoyne (9-8) – 7 IP | 8 H | 5 R | 5 ER | 3 BB | 6 SO | 2 HR

HOW IT HAPPENED

(T) 1^st Inning – Albertus Magnus jumped out to the early 3-0 lead following back-to-back home runs from Gillian Fortier (Naugatuck, Conn.) and Melissa Castillo (Taftville, Conn.). Fortier led off game one with her ninth home run of the season before Castillo hit a two-run homer over the left field fence to give the visitors the early advantage.

(T) 4^th Inning – The Falcons extended their lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the fourth, despite not recording a hit during the inning. Senior Rachel Cataudella (Shelton, Conn.) worked a walk, stole second, moved over to third on a wild pitch and came across to score on another wild pitch.

(B) 5^th Inning – After four scoreless innings, Emmanuel finally got on the board scoring a run in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a RBI from K. Sendrick. Olivia Burgos got into scoring position with a double to center and came around to score on an RBI single by freshman second baseman Kerry Sendrick to cut the lead to 4-1. The Saints went on to load the bases with two outs but Albertus Magnus junior pitcher Megan Ferraro (Brandford, Conn.) worked out of the jam to preserve the three-run lead.

(T) 6^th Inning – Freshman Morgan Shura (East Haven, Conn.) added an insurance run in the top of the sixth for the Falcons as she allowed Cataudella to score off a single to center with two outs.

INSIDE THE STATS

• Albertus Magnus finished the game one 8-of-26 at the plate with three walks and six strikeouts.
• Emmanuel was 10-of-32 at the plate with three strikeouts.
• Four different players registered a team-high two hits for the Saints.
• Castillo led the Falcons with two RBI while Cataudella recorded a team-high two runs scored.

FINAL SCORE (G2): Albertus Magnus 6 | Emmanuel 5

WINNING PITCHER: Kristin Cunning (1-3) – 2 IP | 1 H | 1 BB | 1 SO

LOSING PITCHER: Megan Kieselback (5-8) – 7 IP | 10 H | 6 R | 5 ER | 1 BB | 5 SO | 3 HR

HOW IT HAPPENED

(T) 1^st Inning – Similar to game one, Albertus Magnus jumped out early in the top of the first, scoring one run thanks to Fortier and Castillo. Fortier began game two reaching first via an Emmnauel error and came around to score on an RBI single up the middle by Castillo.

(B) 2^nd Inning - The Saints answered back in the bottom of the second to take their first lead of the afternoon. Megan Kieselback helped her own cause with a two-run blast to left-center to give the hosts the 2-1 lead.

(B) 3^rd Inning – Emmanuel continued its rally in the bottom of the third as the Saints scored one run on one hit to push their lead to two, 3-1.

(T) 4^th Inning - Junior Daysia Wehder (Queens, N.Y.) crushed a home run to left center to pull the Falcons back to within a run to make it 3-2 in the fourth.

(B) 4^th Inning – A half inning later, Emmanuel's Megan Kieselback belted another two-run shot to left to give the hosts a 5-2 cushion.

(T) 5^th and 7^th Inning - Fortier answered in the top of the fifth with a two-run homer to pull the Falcons back to within one at 5-4. The Falcons threatened for more, getting two runners in scoring position, but Kieselback was able to get out of the jam to preserve the one-run lead.

Castillo came back in a big way to deliver the knockout blow in the top of the seventh to send the Falcons home with the sweep. Down to their final out, the first basemen took a 2-1 fastball deep for a two-run homer to give Albertus the 6-5 lead.

INSIDE THE STATS

• Castillo reached yet another impressive game going 3-of-4 at the plate with three RBI and a run scored.
• Fortier also had an impressive stat line with two runs scored, two hits and two RBI.
• Emmanuel finished game two with 10 hits, six strikeouts and a walk.
• Albertus Magnus was 10-of-31 at the plate as well as posted a walk and five strikeouts.
• Laura Anderson (East Haven, Conn.) started on the mound for the Falcons and pitched a total of four innings.
• Ferraro came in to relieve Cunning in the bottom of the seventh and earned her first save of the season.

UP NEXT

The Falcons return to the field tomorrow, April 30th with a doubleheader against Saint Joseph's of Maine.