Northfield, Vt. - The Albertus Magnus College softball team split a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader against Norwich University on Saturday afternoon at the Norwich University Softball Field. The Falcons edged past the Cadets in the opener, 9-7, but came up short, 5-4 in game two.

FINAL SCORE (G1): Albertus Magnus 9 | Norwich 7
FINAL SCORE (G2): Norwich 5 | Albertus Magnus 4
RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (20-8, 13-3) | Norwich (6-12, 4-10)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1:
Albertus Magnus came out swinging to start off game one, scoring three runs on four hits, behind back-to-back RBI from Aubrey DeFoe (Watertown, Conn.) and Melissa Castillo (Taftville, Conn.), before Norwich drove in a single run in the bottom half of the inning to make the score 3-1.

After a scoreless second, the Cadets scored two runs in the third and a run in the fourth to take one-run lead, 4-3, until a three-run inning by the Falcons regained the lead, 6-4. Norwich tied the game in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a pair of RBI, but Albertus answered back scoring three runs on three hits in the top of the sixth to take a 9-6 lead.

Norwich threatened the Falcons in the bottom of the seventh with bases loaded and one out, but the Cadets managed to only score a run, falling to the visitors, 9-7.

Game 2:
Norwich jumped out to an early two-run lead before the Falcons found themselves up 3-2 after scoring a run in the the second and two runs in the third, including a two-run RBI double from Laura Anderson (East Haven, Conn.). 

The Cadets tied the game up at 3-all as Madison Miller recorded the RBI single, but freshman Jasmine Roman (Hartford, Conn.) put the Falcons back on top, 4-3. However, Norwich recorded a two-run inning in the top of the seventh to seal the conference split.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
On the Mound (G1):

• Albertus Magnus - Laura Anderson: 4.1 IP | 10 H | 6 R | 5 ER | 1 SO
• Albertus Magnus - Fallon Speers (W, 1-0): 2.2 IP | 4 H | 1 R | 1 BB | 2 SO
• Norwich - Emily Oliver (L, 3-6): 7.0 IP | 12 H | 9 R | 7 ER

At the Plate (G1):

• Four different players recorded a team-best two hits.
• Along with their two hits, Fortier, Murphy and Cunning posted a game-high two runs while Murphy and Cunning collected an RBI each.
• Whitfield led the Falcons in RBI with two while recording two hits and a run scored.
• Naomi Rinaldo led the Cadets with a perfect 4-for-4 performance at the plate with three runs and two RBI.
• Norwich finished with 14 hits over 28 at bats as well as recorded six RBI, a walk and three strikeouts.
• Albertus Magnus was 12-of-31 at home with seven RBI.

On the Mound (G2):

• Albertus Magnus - Kristen Cunning (L, 9-4): 6.1 IP | 11 H | 5 R | 3 ER | 3 BB | 5 SO
• Norwich - Sarah Perry (W, 3-5): 7.0 IP | 10 H | 4 R | 3 ER | 1 BB

At the Plate (G2):

• A trio of Falcons posted two hits in the loss.
• Both Sarah Perry and Madison Miller led the Cadets with three hits while Miller collected two RBI over four at bats.
• Sophomore Laura Anderson (East Haven, Conn.) registered two RBI as well as added a hit to her stat line.
• Norwich held the edge in hits, 11-10.

UP NEXT
The softball team returns to the mound tomorrow with a GNAC doubleheader at Suffolk.