NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The Albertus Magnus College softball recorded yet another impressive day at the Shea Softball Field as the Falcons extended their winning streak to eight games straight following Sunday's non-conference doubleheader sweep against the Colonels of Curry College. The Falcons claimed game one with an 8-0 mercy-rule victory, before securing the 5-4 come-from-behind, walk-off victory in game two.
Following the game one victory over the Colonels, head coach Ed Emilieta and assistant coach Curt Hawkes earned their 200th career victory. Celine Wood (Pawling, N.Y.) tallied the game-winning hit in the nightcap, with a laser beam single into the right-field gap that scored both Erin Molkenthin (East Haddam, Conn.) and Peyton Davis (North Haven, Conn.). In the circle, senior Erin Dighello (Wallingford, Conn.) earned both wins for the Falcons and improved to 7-3 on the season.
THE BASICS
FINAL (G1): Albertus Magnus 8 | Curry 0 - 5 innings
FINAL (G2): Albertus Magnus 5 | Curry 4
RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (12-6) | Curry (4-11)
LOCATION: Shea Softball Field
HOW IT HAPPENED - Game 1
After going down 1-2-3 in the top of the first, Albertus found its rhythm at the plate as the Falcons scored three runs in the bottom of the second behind an RBI single from Madison LaBossiere (Griswold, Conn.) and a two-run RBI double from Janelle Franklin (Middletown, Conn.) to take the early lead.
Albertus kept its momentum going into the bottom of the second by scoring four runs off two hits, and forcing a Curry pitching change, to keep its lead alive 7-0. The Falcons started off the inning with back-to-back walks, before the Colonels recorded a force-out at third base. With runners on first and second, Kayla Resto (Shelton, Conn.) came up big, lacing the ball down the left-field line for the two-RBI double.
Another walk knocked the Colonels starter from the game. With two outs and a runner on second, Angelina Ramada (North Branford, Conn.) managed to clear the bases with a laser-beam triple into the gap, but a strikeout ended the inning.
The Falcons' defensive unit continued to shine, forcing Curry to go down 1-2-3 in the top of the fourth, while the offensive unit tacked on an additional run in the bottom half of the inning, increasing the lead to 8-0. With one out and runners on second and third, Davis drove in the final run of the game behind a single to left field.
Ema Signore (Guilford, Conn.) came on in relief for the Falcons in the fifth inning and slammed the door on the Colonels with a shining 1-2-3 inning to secure the 8-0 mercy-rule victory for the Falcons.
TOP PERFORMERS
- WP: Erin Dighello (6-3) - 4.0 innings | 2 Hits | 1 Walk | 2 Strikeouts
- LP: Jillian Rogers (1-2) - 2.1 innings | 4 Hits | 7 Runs | 4 Walks | 1 Strikeout
- Signore made her seventh appearance for the Falcons in the top of the fifth.
- Signore posted one of the Falcons' five strikeouts.
- Resto finished the opener with a team-high two hits and two RBIs.
- Along with Resto, Ramada and Franklin also tallied two RBIs.
HOW IT HAPPENED - Game 2
The Curry bats slowly came alive in the top of the second as the visitors scored two runs off three hits and a Falcon error to take the early 2-0 lead.
After a scoreless at-bat in the third, Curry struck again, this time scoring a single run, behind an RBI triple from Madison Schwartz to extend its advantage to three, 3-0.
Albertus finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth as LaBossiere led off the stanza with a deep triple to right field before crossing home on a one-out, RBI single from Ava Gladwin (Guilford, Conn.), to cut the deficit to within two, 3-1.
The Falcons threatened Curry's lead in the bottom of the sixth with runners of first and second with two outs, but a fly out to center field ended the rally and sent the teams into the final inning, with the hosts trailing by two, 3-1.
Curry continued to swing the bat and plated an additional run in the top of the seventh, extending its lead to three, 4-1.
Down by three in the final inning, the Falcons did not go quietly. Ivy Geloso (Beacon Falls, Conn.) led off the frame with a hard ground ball single through the left side. With one out and a runner on first, Franklin stepped to the plate as a pinch hitter and promptly laced a single through the 5-6 hole put runners on first and second for the blue-and-white. Davis quickly followed suit with an RBI single that scored Geloso and sent Franklin to third base. Down 4-2 and with runners on second and third, Molkenthin slashed a hard grounder to the right side and reached on an error by the Colonels' first baseman. Franklin scored easily for the third Albertus run, while Davis streaked from second, sliding safely into third base. A walk to Colleen Edwards (Clinton, Conn.) loaded the bases for the Falcons before Curry called a timeout and conference to regroup.
Out of the timeout, Wood stalked to the plate and promptly ripped a line drive single into the right-centerfield gap to score both Davis and Molkenthin and send the Falcons home with the 5-4 come-from-behind, walk-off victory.
TOP PERFORMERS
- WP: Erin Dighello (7-3) - 3.0 innings | 6 Hits | 1 Run | 1 Walk | 0 Strikeouts
- LP: Caitlyn Wood (0-3) - 6.1 innings | 10 Hits | 5 Runs | 2 Walks | 1 Strikeout
- Geloso, Gladwin, and Wood finished the nightcap with two hits apiece.
- Gladwin and Wood both recorded RBIs for the Falcons.
UP NEXT
The Falcons return to the diamond on Tuesday, March 29 with a home Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader against Elms College. Game times are set for 3 PM and 5 PM at the Shea Softball Field in New Haven, Conn.
