NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The Albertus Magnus College softball team defeated the Raiders of River University by a score of 6-1 on Tuesday night to advance to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Softball Tournament Semifinals. Laura Anderson (East Haven, Conn.) threw a gem in the circle, holding the visitors to one run on one hit over 6.0 innings to pick up her eighth win of the season.
THE BASICS
FINAL: Albertus Magnus 6 | Rivier 1
MEETING: This is the 52nd all-time meeting between Albertus and Rivier.
ALL-TIME SERIES: Heading into today's game, Albertus leads the all-time series against Rivier, 28-23.
LOCATION: Shea Softball Complex
BOX SCORE
HOW IT HAPPENED
Albertus took the first lead of the contest in the bottom of the second inning, on the back of three singles. Erin Molkenthin (East Haddam, Conn.), Megan Anderson (Levittown, New York), and Ava Gladwin (Guilford, Conn.) each tallied singles to load the bases. Jess Stettinger (East Haven, Conn) gave the Falcons a 1-0 lead with a sacrifice fly to center field.
Albertus added to its advantage in the third inning with another one-run frame. With one out, L. Anderson smacked a double down the right-field line. An error by the third baseman allowed L. Anderson to score from second, when she was unable to handle the throw from the left fielder.
For the third consecutive inning, the Falcons scored runs, taking a commanding 5-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth. With Gladwin and Stettinger on, L. Anderson blasted a three-run home run to left-center. The bomb was the senior's second of the season.
The Falcons were on the edge of blowing the game wide open in the bottom of the sixth, with the bases loaded and two outs. With Janelle Franklin (Middletown, Conn.) on third, Ivy Geloso (Beacon Falls, Conn.) on second, and Kayla Resto (Shelton, Conn.) on first, Erin Molkenthin (East Haddam, Conn.) singled to center to increase the home team's advantage to 6-0. Unfortunately for the Falcons, the Raiders worked out of the jam with an out in the next at-bat.
A six-run lead was more than enough of a cushion for L. Anderson, as she continued her stellar season in the pitching circle. The senior utility player tossed 6.0 dominant innings and allowed just one run on a single hit to improve to 8-2 on the year. She moved into first on the Falcons' all-time leaderboard in innings pitched with 388.0.
Rivier plated one run in the top of the seventh, but it was in vain, as the Falcons advanced to the GNAC Tournament Semifinals with a 6-1 home victory.
TOP PERFORMERS
• WP: Laura Anderson (8-2) | LP: Kellie Kennedy (L, 2-2)
• Molkenthin led all players with three hits, going 3-for-4 with one RBI.
• L. Anderson tallied two hits with two runs scored and two RBIs.
• L. Anderson's home run is the second of her senior season.
• Kasey Smith tallied Rivier's only hit.
NOTEWORTHY
• Tonight's game was the Falcons' 16th appearance in the GNAC tournament. The Falcons are 15-21 all-time in the tournament.
• This is the first meeting between the Falcons and Raiders in the postseason. Albertus holds the edge with the 1-0 record.
• Albertus allowed a season-low one hit.
• L. Anderson allowed a season-best one hit.
• L. Anderson is now the all-time leader in innings pitched for the Falcons with 388.0.
UP NEXT
The fourth-seeded Falcons will challenge the winner of tonight's No. 1 Emmanuel (Mass.) College and No. 8 Anna Maria College quarterfinal bout in the semifinals on Thursday, May 6.
