New Haven, Conn. - The Albertus Magnus College softball team improves to 7-1 in Great Northeast Athletic Conference play as the Falcons swept Anna Maria College in a doubleheader on Thursday afternoon at the Shea Softball Complex. The Falcons blanked the AMCATS, 8-0, in the opener before securing the night cap, 10-2, in six innings.

FINAL SCORE (G1): Albertus Magnus 8 | Anna Maria 0 (5 innings)
FINAL SCORE (G2): Albertus Magnus 10 | Anna Maria 2 (6 innings)
RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (14-5, 7-1) | Anna Maria (0-16, 0-8)

HOW  IT HAPPENED
Game 1:
Sophomore Laura Anderson (East Haven, Conn.) started things off for the Falcons allowing Brianna Whitfield (West Islip, N.Y.) to score in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly to give the hosts the early edge.

Two innings later, senior Gillian Fortier (Naugatuck, Conn.) stole home after advancing to third, pushing the hosts' lead to 2-0, before sophomore Aliza Esposito (East Haven, Conn.) recorded who first RBI of the day as she was walked, advancing Samantha Maselli (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) home, extending the lead to 3-0.

The Falcons sealed the five-inning win after collecting the final four runs in the bottom of the fifth, including a two-run RBI from Kristen Cunning (Hoboken, N.J.).

Game 2:
Albertus Magnus opened game two with the two-run advantage following RBI from Whitfield and Anderson, but a two-run, one hit inning by Anna Maria evened the score at 2-2.

Albertus Magnus answered back scoring two runs in the bottom of the second and a run in the bottom of the third to extend its lead to three, 5-2.

The AMCATS were unable to start a rally against the Falcons' defensive unit, including solid pitching from Cunning. Albertus Magnus tacked on an additional four runs in the bottom of the sixth to put the game away, 10-2.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
On the Mound (G1)

• Albertus Magnus - Laura Anderson (W, 4-2): 5.0 IP | 0 R | 1 H | 1 BB | 5 SO
• Anna Maria - Victoria Falco (L, 0-8): 4.2 IP | 6 H | 8 R | 3 ER | 4 BB | 1 SO

At the Plate (G1)

• Jaqueline Lapierre recorded the AMCATS' lone hit of the game.
• Six different players registered at least a hit for the Falcons.
• Whitfield posted a team-high two runs scored.
• Anderson and Cunning both recorded a two-high two RBI in the win.

On the Mound (G2)

• Albertus Magnus - Kristen Cunning (W, 7-1): 6.0 IP | 2 H | 2 R | 2 BB | 6 SO
• Anna Maria - Victoria Falco (L, 0-9): 5.1 IP | 14 H | 10 R | 10 ER | 3 BB 

At the Plate (G2)

• Anna Maria finished game two 2-for-21 with two RBI, two walks and six strikeouts.
• Albertus Magnus was 14-for-28 at the plate with 10 RBI and three walks.
• Esposito and Cunning paced the offense with a team-best three hits while Esposito collected two RBI and two runs scored.
• Maselli posted a season-high three runs scored.

UP NEXT
Albertus Magnus returns to the mound this weekend with a pair of GNAC doubleheaders against Rivier University and Regis (Mass.).