NEWTON, MASS. - The Albertus Magnus College softball team extended their historic, program-record winning streak to 20 straight on Friday afternoon, defeating the Lasers of Lasell University in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader header at Taylor Field. 

Angelina Ramada (North Branford, Conn.) led the Falcons' on offense, collecting five hits in the doubleheader, with a triple, three runs scored, and two RBIs. Ivy Geloso (Beacon Falls, Conn.) also had a spectacular day at the plate for the Falcons, collecting four hits, a walk, two home runs, four runs scored, and five RBI's over the doubleheader.

Ava Gladwin (Guilford, Conn.) and Jess Stettinger (East Haven, Conn.) also added offensive firepower to the mix. Gladwin collected five hits over the doubleheader, with five RBIs and three runs scored, while Stettinger whacked three hits, with a double and a home run, worked three walks, drove in a run, and scored five times. 

THE BASICS
FINAL (G1): Albertus Magnus 12 | Lasell 1 - 5 Innings 
FINAL (G2): Albertus Magnus 13 | Lasell 3 - 5 Innings   
RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (24-6, 10-0 GNAC) | Lasell (11-13, 4-4 GNAC) 
LOCATION: Taylor Field-Newton, Mass.

HOW IT HAPPENED - Game 1

Geloso led off the first by hitting the first pitch of the game over the left-field wall to give the Falcons the quick 1-0 advantage. Lasers' hurler Meghan Theall retired the next three hitters in order to keep the deficit at one heading into the second. 

The Falcons continued to tack on runs as three straight singles from Madison LaBossiere (Griswold, Conn.), Ramada, and Karissa Kerrs (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) loaded the bases with one out. Gladwin whacked a long single down the left-field line to score both Ramada and LaBossiere, and increase the Falcon's lead to 3-1. 

The Falcons threatened in the third, as Kayla Resto (Shelton, Conn.) worked a walk and advanced to third on a groundout and a wild pitch, but Theall slammed the door with a strikeout to end the frame. 

The Albertus offense exploded in the fourth inning, as the blue-and-white hung an eight-spot on the board to take an insurmountable 11-1 lead. Ramada led off the frame with a single into right field, before finding herself on second following a groundout. A Lasers' error put runners on first and second as Geloso stepped into a pitch and hammered her second home run of the day over the centerfield wall for three RBIs. Janelle Franklin (Middletown, Conn.) followed with a single into right field, before Resto got hold of a pitch and smashed a two-run homer over the left-center field fence. Stettinger and Peyton Davis (North Haven, Conn.) worked back-to-back walks, giving way to Ramada, who continued the hit parade with a triple down the right-field line to score both Stettinger and Davis. Kerrs quickly followed with a long double into the right-center field alleyway to score Ramada, but Theall got Gladwin to fly out to left field to end the offensive onslaught.    

The Falcons continued to swing the bat in the fifth inning, as Geloso led off the frame with a single into left field, before advancing to third on a passed ball and a groundout. A Resto double scored Geloso for the 12th and final run of the game for the Falcons. 

Erin Dighello (Wallingford, Conn.) started for the Falcons in game 1 and pitched masterfully. Over five innings, Dighello allowed one run on two hits and no walks, while striking out two. Dighello set the Lasers down in order in four separate innings, only running into trouble in the second inning when Eryn Sheeley hit an RBI double into left field.   

TOP PERFORMERS

• WP: Erin Dighello (W, 13-3 ) - 5.0 Innings | 2 Hits | 1 Run | 0 Walks | 2 Strikeouts
• LP: Meghan Theall (L, 5-8) - 5.0 innings | 13 Hits | 12 Runs | 4 Walks | 1 Strikeout | 3 Homeruns
• Dighello's 13th win ties her for first in the league, along with Simmons' ace Maddie Castigliego. 
• Both Geloso and Ramda finished with a team-leading three hits, while Resto and Kerrs posted two hits apiece.
• Ramada's three-hit performance in game one was a season-high.
• Geloso tallied a game-high four RBIs and two home runs.
• Geloso now has four home runs for the season. 
• Resto's home run in the top of the fifth was her second of the season. 
• Resto tallied a season-high three RBIs.  

HOW IT HAPPENED - Game 2

Just like game one, Albertus came out with the hot hand, scoring four runs off two hits to take the early lead over the Lasers. Geloso started the inning off by forcing a walk before Franklin followed with a double to left-center. A two-run RBI single from Resto cleared the bases before Lasell's Katie Hopkins walked Stettinger to put two on with no outs. A groundout from Skylar Arent (New Fairfield, Conn.) advanced Resto and Stettinger to second and third and set up Davis, who allowed Resto to cross home on an RBI groundout to first. LaBossiere worked a walk and was quickly caught in a run-down, but Stettinger managed to score from third before the Lasers tagged LaBossiere for the final out of the inning.  

Albertus continued to swing the bat in the third, scoring an additional four runs to take a commanding 8-0 lead. Stettinger led off the frame with a blast over the left-centerfield wall, before Arent followed with a scorching single back through the box. With runners on first and second and two away, Gladwin stepped to the dish and drilled a single through the 5-6 hole that scored both Davis and Arent, pushing the visitor's lead to seven. Geloso followed suit with a single up the middle that scored Gladwin from second, before Franklin reached on an error, but Hopkins retired the final hitter to stymie the Falcons' rally. 

The Falcons kept the ball rolling in the top of the fourth as Stettinger kicked off the inning with a double to left-center before advancing to third on a passed ball. As Arent forced a walk, Stettinger managed to capitalize and steal home for the Falcons' ninth run of the game. Despite two outs on the board, Albertus' Arent used an error by the Lasers' third baseman to cross home for the 10th and final run of the inning. 

Lasell scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth to trim the deficit to 10-2.

The Falcons roared right back with three more runs in the top of the fifth inning to make it a 13-2 ballgame. With one out, Stettinger chopped an infield single, before Arent roped a ball down the right-field line that cleared the fence for a two-run bomb. A LaBossiere single and a Lasell error put two more on for the Falcons before Gladwin ripped an RBI single into left field to score LaBossiere. 

Trailing by 11, the Lasers attempted the comeback in the bottom of the fifth. A walk, a double, and a single scored a run for the Lasers to lead off the frame, but Arent slammed the door with a groundout and a pair of strikeouts to seal the 13-3 mercy-rule victory for the Falcons.

TOP PERFORMERS

• WP: Skylar Arent (W, 10-2) - 5.0 Innings | 7 Hits | 3 Runs | 1 Walk | 4 Strikeouts 
• LP:  Katie Hopkins (L, 0-1) - 3.0 innings | 9 Hits | 8 Runs | 3 Walks | 1 Strikeout 
• Arent threw her sixth complete game as well as earned her 10th win of the season. 
• Stettinger was 3-for-3 with a home run, a double, a walk, an RBI, and four runs scored. 
• Arent was 2-for-3 with a home run, a walk, two RBIs, and three runs scored.  
• Gladwin finished game two with a team-leading four hits to go along with a run scored and a team-high three RBIs. 

NOTEWORTHY

• Albertus owns a 19-10 all-time record against the Lasers.
• The Falcons' 20-game winning streak is the longest in program history.
• Dighello has thrown a total of seven complete games this season for the Falcons and is currently sporting a 2.22 ERA.
• Geloso has tallied seven straight multi-hit games and is batting .720 (18-for-25) with 12 runs scored, four doubles, two triples, and two home runs during that stretch, while also driving in 12 RBIs.
• Gladwin is batting .556 (10-for-18) over her last eight games, with two doubles, six runs scored, and 10 RBIs.
• Stettinger recorded her fifth multi-hit game of the season.
• Ramada recorded her seventh multi-hit game of the year.

UP NEXT
The Falcons return to the diamond on Saturday, April 23rd for a home GNAC doubleheader with the Cadets of Norwich University. Game one is slated for a 1 PM start, while game two will start at 3 PM.