Softball GNAC Preview– GNAC Tournament Championships

Posted: May 06, 2023

Albertus Magnus College
GNAC Softball Tournament Preview - Championships
#2S Albertus Magnus (24-19, 9-3 GNAC)
Vs.
#3S Lasell University (27-15-1, 8-4 GNAC)
Saturday, May 7 • 12:00 p.m. • Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletics Complex - Providence, R.I.
LINKS: VIDEO | LIVE STATS

Postseason Continues
The Albertus Magnus College softball team finished the regular season with a 22-18 overall record and clinched the No. 2S seed in the upcoming 2023 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Softball Tournament thanks to a 9-3 mark in league play. The Falcons advanced to play in the GNAC championship round set for Sunday, May 7.

The Falcons swept the first round of the GNAC play-offs, defeating the Lasers of Lasell University in round one of the tournament, before knocking off the defending GNAC Champion Johnson & Wales University Wildcats in the second round on Thursday night.

The Falcons dropped to the Sharks of Simmons University in semifinal play on Saturday afternoon by a score of 6-1.

With a pair of wins under their belt in the double-elimination tournament quarterfinals and a loss in the semifinal round, the Falcons look ahead to play in the championship round against the Lasers of Lasell University on Sunday afternoon at 12:00 p.m. in Providence, R.I. at host school Johnson & Wales University.

If Albertus defeats Lasell, the Falcons will advance to play Simmons once again at 2:30 p.m. and will have to defeat Simmons in back-to-back games to claim the GNAC title.

Tournament Release
GNAC Softball Schedule
2023 Softball GNAC Tournament Page

Postseason Notes

Albertus Magnus is making its 18th appearance in the GNAC Tournament.
The Falcons are 17-25 all-time in the event and are searching for the team's first league title since 1997.
AMC has appeared in nine straight GNAC Tournaments.

2023 Recap

The Falcons started the season with their annual spring break trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C., and went 4-6, opening the season with two wins on day one, before dropping the following two games on day two. The Falcons split on days three and four, before dropping both games on the final day to close out the Myrtle Beach trip.
The Falcons' return to Connecticut was started by a doubleheader loss to Coast Guard in New London, Conn.
The Falcons bounced back with a doubleheader sweep of the MCLA Trailblazers, before earning a doubleheader split with the Colonels of Curry College two days later. Breanna Saldivar (Middletown, Conn.) singled in the winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the Falcons the 4-3 lead in game 2.
The Falcons closed out the month of March with a twinbill setback to the Valiants of Manhattanville College.
AMC started off the month of April with a doubleheader sweep of conference-foe Dean College, scoring a season-high 16 runs in the opener, before securing the nightcap by a final score of 8-2.
The Falcons turned right around the very next day and took a doubleheader split with long-time rival Johnson & Wales University. JWU took game one, but the Falcons stormed back to take the nightcap by a final score of 7-5.
The following Saturday saw the Falcons welcome in-state challenger University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) to the Shea Softball Complex.
The Falcons then traveled to Revere, Mass. to challenge the Lions of Eastern Nazarene College. AMC earned a twinbill split in the doubleheader that sparked a six-game winning streak for the blue-and-white. Over their streak, the Falcons took down Eastern Nazarene in the nightcap, and swept Elms College and Norwich University, before splitting a conference doubleheader with the Lasers of Lasell College.
The Falcons then welcomed Mitchell College to Shea for a non-conference doubleheader matchup and swept the Mariners, taking game one by a final score of 5-4 and game two by a final of 5-0.
Albertus suffered a doubleheader setback to the Saints of Emmanuel College, before closing the season with a 3-1 surge, sweeping Regis (Mass.) and splitting the final twinbill of the season with the Raiders of Rivier University.
With their 22-18 record, and 9-3 mark in conference play, the Falcons earned the two-seed in the South Division.

Last Time Out

The Falcons dropped to the Sharks of Simmons University in the GNAC semifinal round by a score of 6-1.
Albertus found its opportunities late in the bottom of the seventh as Davis walked and Anna Leone (Shelton, Conn.) doubled for Davis to score for the lone Falcon run of the game.
Three Falcons collected a hit in the loss: Davis, Geloso and Leone.

GNAC Tournament Schedule
First-Round - Tuesday, May 2 (Single-Elimination)
PLAY-IN 1: #4N Rivier 2 at #3N Emmanuel 12 Final - 5 Innings

First-Round - Wednesday, May 3rd (Single-Elimination)
PLAY-IN 2: #4S University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) 0 at #3S Lasell 8 Final - 5 Innings

Quarterfinals - Thursday, May 4 (Double-Elimination)
GAME 1: #3N Emmanuel 1 vs. #2N Saint Joseph's (Maine) 3 (at #1N Simmons)
GAME 2: #3S Lasell 3 vs. #2S Albertus Magnus 4 (at #1S Johnson & Wales)
GAME 3: #2N Saint Joseph's (Maine) 3 at #1N Simmons 5
GAME 4: #2S Albertus Magnus 8 at #1S Johnson & Wales 4

Semifinals - Saturday, May 6 (Double-Elimination) (at #1S Johnson & Wales)
GAME 5: Emmanuel 7 vs. Johnson & Wales 6 (loser eliminated)
GAME 6: Lasell 2 vs. Saint Joseph's (Maine) 1 (loser eliminated)
GAME 7: Simmons 6 vs. Albertus Magnus 1
GAME 8: Emmanuel 1 vs. Lasell 3

Championship - Sunday, May 7 (Double-Elimination) (at #1S Johnson & Wales)
GAME 9: Albertus Magnus vs. Lasell (loser eliminated) - 12:00 p.m.
GAME 10: Winner of Game 9 vs. Simmons - 2:30 p.m.
GAME 11: If necessary

This Year vs. Lasell

The Falcons and Lasers split a doubleheader match-up in their only meeting of the regular season earlier this year. The Falcons took game one by a final score of 6-1, before the Lasers secured the nightcap by a final score of 6-5.
Saldivar led the Falcons offensively in the doubleheader, as the senior outfielder went 3-for-7 with a double and a triple, while scoring four runs and driving in two more.
Janelle Franklin (Middletown, Conn.) also tallied three hits in the twinbill, while scoring a run.
Annabelle Jabs (East Hartland, Conn.) picked up her fourth straight win in game one of the doubleheader, tossing 5.2 innings of one-run ball, while striking out three batters and permitting no walks.
The Lasers' Ally Kirck led Lasell's offense, as the junior outfielder had a 3-for-7 day in the doubleheader, connecting for two triples and scoring three runs, while driving in two.
The Falcons defeated the Lasers in game one of the GNAC quarterfinal round on Thursday, May 5 by a score of 4-3.
Janelle Franklin (Middletown, Conn.) singled for a walk-off RBI in the bottom of the seventh inning to take home the win.

Scouting Lasell

Runs Scored: 206 (7th in GNAC)
Batting Average: .318 (3rd in GNAC)
On-Base Percentage: .377 (6th in GNAC)
ERA: 3.30 (5th in GNAC)
Strikeouts: 243 (1st in GNAC)

Scouting Albertus Magnus

Runs Scored: 233 (3rd in GNAC)
Batting Average: .312 (5th in GNAC)
On-Base Percentage: .395 (2nd in GNAC)
ERA: 3.76 (6th in GNAC)
Strikeouts: 149 (8th in GNAC)

Where does Albertus softball rank in the GNAC?

Batting Average: .312 (5th in GNAC)
On-base Percentage: .395 (2nd in GNAC)
Runs: 233 (3rd in GNAC)
Hits: 359 (3rd in GNAC)
Hit-by-Pitch: 25 (3rd in GNAC)
Triples: 13 (3rd in GNAC)
RBI: 202 (3rd in GNAC)
Walks: 140 (1st in GNAC)
Walks Allowed: 62 (1st in GNAC)
Team ERA: 3.76 (6th in GNAC)
Fielding Percentage: .959 (4th in GNAC)
Runners Caught Stealing: 9 (4th in GNAC)
Caught Stealing Percentage: .173 (3rd in GNAC)

Albertus Player Highlights

Angelina Ramada (North Branford, Conn.) has been one of Albertus' most consistent and dangerous hitters all season, pacing the blue-and-white in hits (47) and batting average (.367).
Freshman catcher Leone has also served as a middle of the order power threat for the Falcons, leading the squad with nine doubles and two home runs.
Anna Leone (Shelton, Conn.) highlighted the Falcons doubleheader sweep of Dean College with a grand slam, three hits, and a season-high six RBIs.
In the triumph over divisional rival Johnson & Wales University, Peyton Davis (North Haven, Conn.) sparked a five-run fourth inning with a two-RBI double that tied the game at 2-all.
In the following twinbill with USJ (CT), Jabs hurled a dominant 1-0 complete-game victory in the opener, scattering six hits and a walk, while fanning seven. Saldivar squeezed in the go-ahead run in Ivy Geloso (Beacon Falls, Conn.) with a perfect bunt in the bottom of the third inning.
Amanda Savinelli followed up Jabs dominant performance over the Blue Jays with her own dominant performance over the Blazers of Elms College less than a week later, as the sophomore transfer fired a five-inning, 16-0 mercy-rule no-hitter in the opening game of the set.
In the second game of the Mitchell doubleheader, Jabs again locked down the opposing offense with a complete-game shutout, while fifth-year senior Geloso recorded her 100th career hit.
In the final week of the season, facing off against Regis (Mass.), Janelle Franklin (Middletown, Conn.) whacked a single into left-center field for her 100th career hit.
In the first round of the play-offs against Lasell University, Franklin walked it off with an RBI-single in the bottom of the seventh to give Albertus the 4-3 victory.
In the second round, facing off against long-time rival Johnson & Wales University, Geloso connected for three hits and three RBI, while Franklin had three hits and two runs scored.