BOSTON, Mass. - The Albertus Magnus College softball team closed out the 2022 regular season with a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader split against the Saints of Emmanuel (Mass.) College on Saturday afternoon at Roberto Clemente Field. 

The Falcons came up short in game one, 12-7, but battled back in the nightcap to secure the conference split as well as snap the Saints' 20-game win streak with a game two final of 10-9. 

THE BASICS
FINAL (G1): Emmanual 12 | Albertus Magnus 7
FINAL (G2): Albertus Magnus 10 | Emmanuel 9
RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (29-9, 15-3 GNAC) | Emmanuel (24-10, 15-1 GNAC)
LOCATION: Roberto Clemente Field

HOW IT HAPPENED - Game 1

Emmanuel opened game one of the doubleheader by scoring two quick runs in the bottom of the first behind a two-out, RBI single from Grace Orcutt to take the early lead. However, a solo home run from Karissa Kerrs (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) in the top of the second cut the Falcons' deficit in half, 2-1.

The Saints continued to swing the bat in the bottom of the second as the hosts recorded another two-run inning to increase their lead over the Falcons to three, 4-1. 

Albertus countered the Saints' two runs in the second with a solo run in the top of the third, making it a two-run ball game, 4-2. Senior Ivy Geloso (Beacon Falls, Conn.) kicked off the inning with an infield single before advancing to second on a single to left from Janelle Franklin (Middletown, Conn.). Despite back-to-back outs from Peyton Davis (North Haven, Conn.) and Jess Stettinger (East Haven, Conn.), Albertus kept its rally going as a Saints' error by the second baseman allowed Geloso to score and moved Franklin from second to third, while the tying run, Kayla Resto (Shelton, Conn.), reached first. However, a groundout to the pitcher ended the threat and stranded runners on base heading into the bottom of the third.

Emmanuel increased its lead back up to three, 5-2, following a one-run, one-hit inning that was highlighted by a home run from Madison Marks.

The Falcons threatened the Saints once again, this time in the top of the fourth, as an RBI single from Franklin and a two-run RBI double from Davis scored a trio of runs to even the game at 5-5. Shortly after, Emmanuel regained the one-run advantage in the bottom half of the inning following a home run to left-center from Kiana Hinson.

Albertus recorded yet another strong performance at the plate scoring two runs off two hits and a Saints' error in the top of the fifth, to regain the lead for the second time this game, 7-6. Resto started off the inning by capitalizing on an error by the pitcher before Kerrs singled to third to put runners on first and second. From there, Resto was retired at third following a fielder's choice, but Fatima Rosales (East Elmhurst, N.Y.) kept the momentum going by loading the bases with a single to center field. A sacrifice fly from Ava Gladwin (Guilford, Conn.) and an infield single from Geloso brought in the pair of unearned runs for the visitors, but a lineout to short ended the inning with bases loaded.

Emmanuel began to pick up momentum in the bottom of the sixth scoring an impressive six runs off six hits to put a five-run cushion, 12-7, between them and the Falcons heading into the top of the seventh.

With two outs, Albertus' Gladwin started the seventh-inning rally with a single to center field, while Geloso followed up with a single to center field, but a fly out to center field from Franklin ended the game. 

TOP PERFORMERS

• WP: Tianna Dawe (W, 13-5) - 7.0 Innings | 14 Hits |  7 Runs | 0 Walks | 0 Strikeouts
• LP: Ema Signore (Guilford, Conn.) (L, 1-2) - 4.0 Innings | 8 Hits | 7 Runs | 1 Walk | 5 Strikeouts
• Erin Dighello (Wallingford, Conn.) recorded her 19th start in the circle for the Falcons.
• Dighello pitched two innings while allowing eight hits and struck out one.  
• Signore collected a season-high five strikeouts. 
• Geloso posted a team-leading four hits to go along with two runs scored and an RBI.
• Franklin finished the opening with a three-hit performance, while Kerrs, Rosales, and Gladwin added two hits each.
• Davis tallied a team-high two RBIs. 

HOW IT HAPPENED - Game 2

Similar to game one, Emmanuel jumped out to an early two-run lead in the bottom of the first, but the Saints' advantage did not last long as the Falcons battled in the top of the second, evening the game at 2-all. Albertus' two runs were scored by Geloso and Franklin, who recorded back-to-back RBIs before the final out was collected at second base.

The 2-2 tie was broken up in the bottom half of the second following a three-run, two-hit inning by the Saints that was highlighted by a two-run RBI single to center field from Orcutt. 

Over the next inning and a half, bats went quiet for both Albertus and Emmanuel until the bottom of the fourth as the Saints recorded four runs off five hits and a Falcon error to take a commanding 9-2 lead. 

Albertus' second rally of game two came in the top of the fifth with the Falcons evening the game at 9-all following an impressive seven-run inning. Geloso led off the stanza with a deep triple to left field, before a double from Franklin allowed Geloso to score. Rookie Skylar Arent (New Fairfield, Conn.) kept the rally alive by driving in Franklin from second, but a groundout by Davis held Arent at second for Kerrs, who allowed Arent to cross home on the RBI groundout to second. With two outs and runners on the corners, Colleen Edwards (Clinton, Conn.) hit a deep ball to the right-field fence to clear the bases before finding herself crossing home plate on an error by the third baseman. For the second time that inning, Geloso recorded another big at-bat hitting a double to left-center to allow the Falcons' final run of the inning to score. 

After being silenced at the plate in the sixth, Albertus made some noise in the top of the seventh as Stettinger led off the stanza with a home run over the left-field fence to give the Falcons the one-run advantage, 10-9. Resto and Edwards continued the Falcons' at-bat with an error and an infield single before the duo advanced a base on a groundout. With one out and runners on second and third, Emmanuel went to its bullpen for relief to try and throw off Geloso, who struck out swinging for the second out of the stanza. Franklin battled in the box trying to allow the two runners to score, but the second baseman fouled out to third to end the inning.

Emmanuel's final at-bat started off with a single to left field from Pacheco followed by a sacrifice bunt that advanced the runner to second. A single by Conti and a forced walk by Hinson loaded the bases for the Saints, but the Falcons recorded the force out at home for the second out of the inning. With the bases still loaded, Arent came in clutch for the Falcons ending the Saints' final rally with a strikeout swinging. 

TOP PERFORMERS

• WP: Skylar Arent (W, 13-3) - 7.0 Innings | 12 Hits | 9 Runs | 2 Walks | 8 Strikeouts
• LP: Brenna Whittaker (L, 8-5) - 6.1 Innings | 12 Hits | 10  Runs | 2 Walks | 2 Strikeouts
• Arent recorded her 18th start in the circle and recorded a season-best eight strikeouts. 
• Geloso, Franklin, Arent, Stettinger, and Edwards all had two hits, accounting for each of the Falcons' 10 hits in game two.  
• Stettinger was 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, and two runs scored. 
• Franklin batted 2-for-4 while Geloso was 2-for-5, each contributing two RBI in the victory. 
• Geloso, Franklin, and Edwards led the Falcons with two RBIs each.

UP NEXT

After posting a league mark of 15-3, the Albertus softball team holds the GNAC South Division's No. 1 seed for the postseason and will host a pair of Thursday (May 5th) games at Shea Softball Field. Dependent on results, the Falcons opening round GNAC Tournament game will be against either the South's Division No. 2 Johnson & Wales, No. 3 the University of Saint Joseph or No. 4 Regis (Mass.). 

Teams that advance past Thursday's round of games will head to Emmanuel and Clemente Field for the remainder of the GNAC Championships on Saturday, May 7, and Sunday, May 8.