MANSFIELD, Conn. – The Albertus Magnus College softball team opened the 2021 campaign with a pair of non-conference losses to in-state rival Eastern Connecticut State University Thursday evening at Clyde Washburne Field.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE (GAME 1): Eastern CT St. 7 | Albertus Magnus 0
MATCH-UP: This is the first meeting between the two programs.
LOCATION: Clyde Washburne Field
BOX SCORE

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Warriors came out swinging in the bottom of the first as the hosts scored three runs on two hits to take the early 3-0 advantage. A walk and a hit by pitch put two runners on base with no outs for the Warriors, before Brooke Matyasovoski drove in Cassie Woods for the first run of the game. Carly Stoker followed up with a long double to left field, scoring two more runs for the Warriors.

Despite back-to-back outs for the Falcons, Erin Molkenthin (East Haddam, Conn.) managed to get a rally going in the top of the second by hitting a single to shortstop for her first career hit and the first hit for the Falcons of the 2021 season. She would later be stranded on second when the Warriors' pitcher retired sophomore outfielder Angelina Ramda (North Branford, Conn.)

The Warriors mustered only two hits in the second inning, failing to capitalize with runners on the corners. Senior right-hander Laura Anderson (East Haven, Conn.) rallied and pulled out of the jam, retiring Julia SanGiovanni to end the inning. 

Anderson and Carly Stoker of Eastern CT continued their strong showing in the circle and kept both teams at bay offensively through the fourth inning, with the Warriors maintaining their 3-0 lead.  

Sophomore Bernadette Kingsbury (Trumbull, Conn.) replaced Anderson in the circle to start the fifth. The Warriors exploded in the fifth inning, scoring four runs to take a commanding 7-0 lead. Woods led the Warriors off with a hit-by-pitch, before SanGiovanni reached on an error by the centerfielder, allowing Woods to score from first. Stoker launched an RBI-double into left field, before Megan Hodgon smacked an RBI-double into right field, giving the Warriors a 6-0 lead. Kingsbury retired Brooke Gottschall for the second out of the inning, before Sarah Remiliard scorched her third hit of the night, scoring Hodgdon from third and increasing the Warrior lead to seven. Kingsbury struck out Woods to end the Warrior onslaught.   

The Falcons went three-up, three-down at the plate in the top of the sixth inning. Kingsbury made up for it by holding the Warriors scoreless in the bottom of the frame, striking out Hodgdon for good measure. 

The Falcons managed a walk in the top of the seventh before a strikeout ended their hopes at a comeback.

TOP PERFORMERS

• WP: Carly Stoker (1-0) | LP: Laura Anderson (0-1) 
• Molkenthins' single in the bottom of the second was the Falcons' only hit of the game.
• Eastern CT's Remillard finished game one 3-for-3 at the plate, while Matyasovsky and Stoker each recorded two hits apiece.
• Along with her two hits, Stoker finished with a team-high three RBI's.

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE (GAME 2): Eastern CT St. 13 | Albertus Magnus 5 (5 innings)
RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (0-2) | Eastern CT St. (2-0)
LOCATION: Clyde Washburn Field
BOX SCORE

HOW IT HAPPENED
Junior Jess Stettinger (East Haven, Conn.) got the Falcons started in game two with a hard single through the left side. Sophomore Janelle Franklin (Middletown, Conn.) kept the momentum going putting runners on first and second, before Peyton Davis (North Haven, Conn.) doubled into right field for two RBI's, giving the Falcons' the early 2-0 lead. Sophomore Ivy Geloso (Beacon Falls, Conn.) followed up with a single, with Davis being tagged out on the play, and Kayla Despres (Northford, Conn.) hit by a pitch. A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third, but a ground out to the pitcher ended the inning.

The Warriors managed to load the bases behind a pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch to start the bottom half of the frame before a fielder's choice by Matyasovsky scored the runner from third and placed runners on the corners. A Hogdon single into right field scored both runners and gave Eastern Connecticut the 3-2 lead. Another base on balls put runners on first and second, before a fly-out to center by Biel ended the inning.

A Warriors' error and a Stettinger double started the Falcons off in the top of the second. Franklin followed with a fielder's choice, putting runners on first and second with one out. A Kingsbury double-plated Franklin and Stettinger, giving the Falcons the one-run advantage, 4-3.

Eastern CT jumped on Kingsbury to start the bottom of the third as back-to-back home runs gave the hosts the 5-4 lead. A sacrifice fly to left-plated another Warrior, 6-4, before Eastern loaded the bases once again. A SanGiovanni double cleared the bags and drove in three more runs, before Matyasovsky hit her second home run of the inning, a two-run shot over the left-field fence, to give the hosts the commanding 11-4 lead.

The Falcons answered in the top of the fourth, with Kayla Resto (Shelton, Conn.) and Anderson reaching on an error and single, respectively. Sophomore Ava Gladwin (Guilford, Conn.) followed up by moving the runners to second and third before a Stettinger single-plated Resto for the Falcon's fifth run of the game. Despite two outs and the bases loaded, the Falcons were unable to send another runner home as a pop-up ended the inning.

The Warriors picked up right where they left off in the fourth inning, scoring an additional two runs on four hits to bring the final score to 13-5. 

TOP PERFORMERS

• WP: Brooke Matyasovsky (1-0)  | LP: Bernadette Kingsbury (0-1)
• Stettinger finished game two 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored.
• Kingsbury and Davis each tallied two RBI's, while Stettinger chimed in with one.
• The Warriors had 10 different players registered a hit in the win. 
• Matyasovsky led the hosts in RBI's with four and runs scored with three.