NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The Albertus Magnus College softball team defeated the Trailblazers of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) in both ends of a non-conference doubleheader on Friday afternoon. The Falcons took game one by a final score of 2-1 before securing the nightcap via mercy rule in a 13-5 victory. 

Angelina Ramada (North Branford, Conn.) paced the Falcons with five hits across the doubleheader, garnering two hits and a run scored in game one before going 3-for-3 in the nightcap. Peyton Davis (North Haven, Conn.) and Janelle Franklin (Middletown, Conn.) also had good games at the dish for the blue-and-white, as Davis went 4-for-6 with two walks, three runs scored and four RBIs, while Franklin was 4-for-5 with three walks, two runs scored, and an RBI. 

In the circle, Erin Dighello (Wallingford, Conn.) and Skylar Arent (Ridgefield, Conn.) picked up complete-game victories in the doubleheader. 

THE BASICS
GAME 1 FINAL: Albertus Magnus 2 | MCLA 1 
GAME 2 FINAL: Albertus Magnus 13 | MCLA 5 - Six Innings 
RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (6-8) | MCLA (2-10)
BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2

KEY HIGHLIGHTS - Game 1     

• The Trailblazers opened the game with a one-out single before Falcon's fifth-year hurler Dighello shut the Trailblazers down with a strikeout and a flyout. 
• Albertus threatened in the bottom of the frame as Franklin worked a walk before advancing to second on a single from Ramada. However, MCLA pitcher Lidi Flores retired the next two hitters to keep the Falcons off the scoreboard. 
• Dighello hurled a 1-2-3 second inning that included two strikeouts before the Falcons' offense went to work in the bottom of the frame. Davis worked a one-out walk and advanced to third on a groundout. Ava Gladwin (Guilford, Conn.) followed up with an RBI single up the middle to score Davis and give the Falcons the early 1-0 lead. 
• Dighello and Flores shut the offenses down in the third inning until the top of the fourth when the Trailblazers evened the game at 1-all. However, Dighello minimized the damage, sandwiching a single between a pair of strikeouts. 
• AMC could not get the offense in motion in the bottom half of the frame, and the teams moved to the fifth inning, deadlocked at 1-1. 
• The Falcons finally pushed through in the fifth inning. With one out, Breanna Saldivar (Middletown, Conn.) roped a double into the left-center field gap and advanced to third when Franklin singled back up the middle. A Franklin steal preceded a groundout to second base from Ramada, scoring Saldivar and pushing the Falcons ahead, 2-1.  
• Dighello held the Trailblazers in check over the final three innings, permitting only a single and a walk while keeping the visitors off the scoreboard to secure the 2-1 victory.   

IN THE CIRCLE 
WP: Erin Dighello (W, 3-1) | 7.0 IP | 5 H | 1 R | 1 ER | 1 BB | 5 SO 
LP: Lidia Flores (L, 1-3) | 6.0 IP | 5 H | 2 R | 2 ER | 4 BB | 1 SO

AT THE PLATE 

• Ramada had a 2-for-3 day with an RBI. 
• Gladwin went 1-for-2 with an RBI. 
• Franklin went 1-for-1 with two walks.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS - Game 2

• The Trailblazers capitalized on a pair of walks in the top of the first frame to go ahead 1-0. 
• AMC responded quickly in the bottom of the inning, as four straight singles from Saldivar, Franklin, Ramada, and Anna Leone (Shelton, Conn.) scored two runs, 2-1. A groundout from Arent scored Ramada from third before Isabelle Smith (Meriden, Conn.) lofted a sacrifice fly to center field to score Leone, bringing the score to 4-1. Davis and Gladwin kept the inning alive with back-to-back singles, but the Trailblazers induced a pop-out to stifle the rally.
• Arent shut MCLA down in the top of the second inning with a 1-2-3 inning before the Falcons threatened again in the bottom of the half, putting two on with one out. However, a pair of flyouts snuffed the rally and sent the teams into the third inning. 
• The Trailblazers put a run on the scoreboard in the top of the third to cut the lead in half, 4-2, but Arent worked out of the jam with a flyout and a lineout to minimize the damage.
• One-out singles from Davis and Karissa Kerrs (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) sandwiched a Gladwin walk until a sacrifice fly from Saldivar scored a run, 5-2. Franklin followed with a line drive single up the middle that scored Gladwin and extended the Falcon's advantage to 6-2 at the end of three. 
• Arent held the Trailblazers scoreless in the fourth before the AMC went back to work in the bottom of the frame, loading the bases with one out, but MCLA's Sarah Williams got a strikeout and a flyout to neutralize the threat.
• MCLA scored three runs in the top of the fifth inning to cut the deficit to one, 6-5, but the Falcons were unperturbed, scoring five runs in the bottom of the frame. 
• Ramada reached on a fielder's choice with one out before advancing two bases on back-to-back wild pitches. A walk to Leone put runners on the corners for Arent, who singled up the middle for the RBI, 7-5. 
• A walk to Smith loaded the bases again, setting up Davis, who singled into left field for two RBIs, 8-5, before advancing to second on the throw to the plate. 
• Gladwin followed up with a single down the right field line to score another pair of runs and extend Albertus' lead to 10-5. 
• The Trailblazers were held scoreless in the top of the sixth, setting the stage for Albertus' mercy-rule victory attempt. 
• Back-to-back singles from Franklin and Ramda put two on with no outs, but the Trailblazers recorded two quick outs and runners on first and second. A single from Smith loaded the bases before Davis ended the game with a two-RBI single into center field that cemented the Falcon's 13-5 mercy-rule victory over MCLA.        

IN THE CIRCLE
WP: Skylar Arent (W, 1-1) | 7.0 IP | 10 H |  5 R | 5 ER | 3 BB | 1 SO 
LP: Sarah Williams (L, 1-3) | 5.0 IP | 15 H | 11 R | 10 ER | 6 BB | 1 SO

AT THE PLATE

• Davis was perfect at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a team-high four RBIs and two runs scored.
• Franklin and Ramada tallied three hits apiece, while Smith and Gladwin added two hits.
• Leone, Arent, and Gladwin finished with two RBIs each. 

UP NEXT
The softball team returns to the diamond on Sunday, March 26, with a home non-conference doubleheader against Curry College. Game times are set for 12 PM and 2 PM at the Shea Softball Complex.