NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The Albertus Magnus College softball team kicked off Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play on Saturday afternoon at the Shea Softball Field with an impressive doubleheader sweep against the Bulldogs of Dean College. The Falcons opened the day tying their season-high in runs with a 13-3 victory before continuing in the nightcap with an 11-0 win.

Angelina Ramada (North Branford, Conn.), Jess Stettinger (East Haven, Conn.), and Ivy Geloso (Beacon Falls, Conn.) led the Falcons on offense. Ramada tallied four hits in the contest, while scoring four runs and driving in two more. Stettinger caught fire at the plate and stroked four hits, with three doubles, a walk, three runs scored, and six runs batted in. Geloso continued her blistering start to the season, connecting for three hits, one of them a home run, while driving in three runs and scoring two more. Peyton Davis (North Haven, Conn.) and Ava Gladwin (Guilford, Conn.) also whacked multiple hits in the doubleheader, scoring five runs and driving in four more.

THE BASICS
FINAL (G1): Albertus Magnus 13 | Dean 3 - 5 innings
FINAL (G2): Albertus Magnus 11 | Dean 0 - 5 innings
RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (16-6, 2-0 GNAC) | Dean (1-8, 0-2 GNAC)
LOCATION: Shea Softball Field

HOW IT HAPPENED - Game 1
Playing as the visitors on their home turf, the Falcons came out to play in the top of the first, exploding for eight runs off eight hits. Geloso led the hit parade in the first, as the senior singled to lead off the frame before coming back to the dish later in the first and blasting a towering home run over the left-center field wall. In between Geloso's two at-bats, the Falcons batted through the lineup and sprayed hits all over the diamond. Kayla Resto (Shelton, Conn.) and Davis connected for back-to-back doubles before Karissa Kerrs (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) worked a walk. A two-RBI Stettinger double into left field was quickly followed by singles from Madison LaBossiere (Griswold, Conn.) and Ramada. Then, Gladwin joined in on the fun with a two-RBI double into the left-field corner.

The Bulldogs put together a trio of hits to push across one run off of Falcon's starter Erin Dighello (Wallingford, Conn.). However, Dighello was unfazed as the senior hurler retired the next two hitters to end the frame.

In the second inning, the Falcons picked up right where they left off, scoring three runs on four hits to extend their advantage to 11-1. With one out, and Kerrs and Davis standing on second and third, Stettinger turned on a fastball and drove it down the left-field line for a two-RBI double. Ramada followed with a single to plate Stettinger to make it an 11-1 game before Gladwin fired her own single back up the box.

Dighello handcuffed the Bulldogs in the bottom half of the frame, twirling a flawless three-up, three-down inning that was highlighted by back-to-back strikeouts.

The Falcons continued to threaten the Bulldogs at the dish, putting two runners on in the top of the third, but Bulldogs' reliever Avellaka Arviso slammed the door on the Falcons to end the third.

Dighello quickly retaliated with another perfect 1-2-3 frame, and the teams moved into the fourth inning.

The Falcons were unable to keep the bats rolling in the fourth. Skylar Arent (New Fairfield, Conn.) relieved Dighello in the circle to start the bottom of the fourth and tossed two innings of one-run ball.

The Falcons tacked on an additional two runs in the fifth. A single from Geloso and a fielder's choice put one on with one out for the Falcons. A Bulldogs' error and passed ball put runners on second and third before Breanna Saldivar (Middletown, Conn.) drilled an RBI groundout to the left side of the infield. Another Dean error plated Erin Molkenthin (East Haddam, Conn.) before Stettinger launched her third double of the game down the left-field line.

The Bulldogs tallied a single run in the bottom of the fifth but could not trim the deficit, falling by a final score of 13-3 in a mercy-rule shortened Game 1.

TOP PERFORMERS

• WP: Erin Dighello (9-3) - 3.0 innings | 3 Hits | 1 Run | 0 Walks | 3 Strikeouts
• LP: Shelby Smith (1-2) - 1.1 innings | 10 Hits | 11 Runs | 2 Walks | 1 Strikeout | 1 Home Run
• Geloso and Stettinger finished game one with a team-leading three hits.
• Stettinger also led the Falcons in RBIs with four, while Gladwin and Geloso tallied two each.
• Both Ramda and Gladwin went 2-for-2 at the plate to go along with a run scored.
• Dighello earned her ninth win in the circle for the Falcons.
• Geloso's home run was her second of the spring.
• All three of Stettinger's hits were doubles.

HOW IT HAPPENED - Game 2
Geloso and Davis worked walks in the first frame but could not score when Sari Albury retired the last hitter to end the inning. Albury held the Falcons at bay in the second before the blue-and-white got on the board with a pair of runs in the third. A Ramada walk led off the frame before an error by the catcher put Geloso on first and advanced Ramada to second. A Janelle Franklin (Middletown, Conn.) walk loaded the bases before the Bulldogs allowed a passed ball that scored Ramada from third for the first Falcon run of the game. A Dean error plated Geloso before Albury retired the final two hitters to end the frame with the Falcons holding a 2-0 lead.

Albertus continued to pile on the pressure, scoring an additional three runs to push their lead to 5-0. With two outs and Stettinger standing atop third base, Ramada whacked a single to plate Stettinger. Then, a Gladwin hit-by-pitch put runners on first and second before the Falcons took advantage of the Bulldogs' errors to score an additional pair of runs.

Up by five heading into the top of the fifth inning, the Falcons exploded for six runs. A single by Franklin led off the inning before a two-base error by Dean sent Franklin to third with no outs. Resto reached on an error by the Dean shortstop that scored Franklin before a passed ball, and a Davis single pushed Resto across the plate. A walk to Molkenthin preceded a two-RBI single from Stettinger. Ramada doubled into the gap with one out and a runner on first. Colleen Edwards (Clinton, Conn.) followed a pinch-hit single that scored Saldivar from third. A Geloso groundout scored Ramada and catapulted the Falcon's lead to an insurmountable 11-0 lead.

Ema Signore (Guilford, Conn.) started in the circle for the Falcons and went the distance in an utterly dominating performance. The freshman hurler spun a spectacular 5.0 scoreless innings, permitting just two hits and two walks while striking out three.

TOP PERFORMERS

• WP: Ema Signore (1-1) - 5.0 innings | 2 Hits | 0 Runs | 2 Walks | 3 Strikeouts
• LP: Sari Albury (0-2) - 5.0 innings | 6 Hits | 11 Runs | 6 Walks | 2 Strikeouts
• Ramada continued her strong showing at the plate as she went 2-for-2 with three runs scored and an RBI.
• For the second game in a row, Stettinger led the team in RBI with two to go along with a hit and a run scored.
• Signore pitched her first complete game for the Falcons and earned her first "W" of the season.
• Signore also set a new season-high in strikeouts with three.

NOTEWORTHY

• Ramada finished the day going 4-for-4 with four runs scored and two RBI.
• Stettinger recorded a combined six RBIs behind four hits, including three doubles.
• Geloso concluded the doubleheader with three hits (one home run), two runs scored, and three RBIs.
• Gladwin also was perfect at the plate with a 2-for-2 showing to go along with two runs scored and two RBI.

UP NEXT
The Falcons continue GNAC play on Sunday, April 3, with a home doubleheader against conference rival Johnson & Wales University. Game times are set for 12 PM and 2 PM at the Shea Softball Field in New Haven, Conn.