Link: Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 

New Haven, Conn. - The Albertus Magnus College softball team fell in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader to Simmons University on Sunday afternoon at Shea Stadium. The Sharks edged past the Falcons in game one, 8-3, before securing the conference sweep with a 6-3 win in the nightcap.

THE BASICS
FINAL (G1): Simmons 8 | Albertus Magnus 3
FINAL (G2): Simmons 6 | Albertus Magnus 3
RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (11-11, 0-4) | Simmons (10-16, 4-0)

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Simmons kicked off the conference doubleheader with the early 1-0 advantage behind a RBI a single from Dom Ortiz in the top of the first.

The Falcons remained hitless against the Sharks' bullpen until the bottom of the fourth as Jess Stettinger (East Haven, Conn.) and Kayla Resto (Shelton, Conn.) opened the inning with a pair of hits. However, three straight outs ended the Falcons' rally and stranded both runners on base, including the leading run.

Sophomore Madison Murphy (Milford, Conn.) and senior Kristin Cunning (Hoboken, N.J.) re-started the Falcons' rally in the following inning with back-to-back singles before an RBI single from Maxine Sanchez (Corona, N.Y.) evened the game at 1-1. Stettinger kept things going for Albertus allowing Cunning to score off a sac fly to left, extending the lead to 2-1, but a fly out ended the inning.

Simmons, however, jumped out to a four-run lead, 6-2, after scoring five runs in the top of sixth, highlighted by back-to-back two-run RBI's from Maddie Castigliego and Alex Morang. The Sharks took another bite out of the Falcons tacking on another two runs in the top of the seventh to put the game away 8-2.

With two outs, Stettinger drove in Madison LaBossiere (Griswold, Conn.) from first to give the Falcons a little hope in the bottom of the seventh, but a fly out ended the game and the Falcons chance for a comeback.

KEY STATS (G1)
Simmons:

• Maddie Castigliego finished 3-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored while also picking up the win on the mound for the Sharks. She allowed three runs on eight hits and struck out four batters.
• Alex Morang went 2-for-3 to go along with two RBI and a run scored.

Albertus:

• Junior Laura Anderson (East Haven, Conn.) suffered her third loss of the season despite striking out five batters.
• Stettinger recorded two of the Falcons' eight hits as well as posted a team-high two RBI.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS (G2)
Simmons broke the scoreless drought in the top of the third as the Sharks scored four runs behind a pair of doubles from Christie Bott and Ortiz as well as a RBI from Ivy Vann.

A two-run RBI double from Stettinger and a RBI single from Resto brought the Falcons to within one, 4-3, in the home half of the fifth.

Solid pitching and defensive work by the Sharks silenced the Falcons in the sixth and seventh while tacking on a run in the top of the seventh to secure the conference sweep, 5-3.

KEY STATS (G2)
Simmons:

• Four different Sharks registered two hits.
• Allie Mulhern tallied two of the visitors' six runs scored.
• Hailey Yabroudy earned her third win of the season  after allowing three runs on six hits while striking out three.

Albertus:

• Freshman Erin Dighello (Wallingford, Conn.) picked up the loss and falls to 3-7 on the year.
• Resto led the Falcons' attack with two hits while Stettinger recorded another two RBI performance.

UP NEXT
The Falcons return to the diamond on Tuesday, April 9th with a road non-conference doubleheader against Coast Guard Academy. Game times are set for 3PM and 5PM in New London, Conn.