NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The Albertus Magnus College softball team split a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) divisional doubleheader with in-state challenger the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) on Saturday afternoon at the Shea Softball Complex. The Falcons took game one in a pitching duel by a final score of 1-0 before suffering the eight-inning setback in the nightcap, 3-2. 

Freshman Annabelle Jabs (East Hartland, Conn.) secured the win in game one with a dominant, complete-game shutout, scattering six hits and a walk while striking out a season-high seven batters. Skylar Arent (Ridgefield, Conn.) had an equally stellar day in the circle in game two, going the distance in an eight-inning contest, permitting just three runs, two earned, while striking out three.  

At the plate, Ivy Geloso (Beacon Falls, Conn.) and Breanna Saldivar (Middletown, Conn.) each recorded two hits in the twinbill. Geloso picked up a double and an RBI, while Saldivar tallied two hits and drove in a pair of ribbies, including the winning run in game one.       

THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE (G1): Albertus Magnus 1 | USJ (CT) 0  
FINAL SCORE (G2): USJ (CT) 3 | Albertus Magnus 2 - 8 Innings
RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (11-13, 4-2 GNAC) | Saint Joseph (CT) (12-11, 3-3 GNAC)  
BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2 

KEY HIGHLIGHTS - Game 1

• Jabs set the tone early in game one, shutting the Blue Jays down in the top of the first inning and striking out Blue Jay's Jenna Zup for the first out. 
• Blue Jays starter Kaitlyn Ouellette matched Jabs zero for zero in the bottom of the frame with a 1-2-3 inning. 
• The Blue Jays threatened in the top of the second, as Ouellette launched a one-out triple to right field, but Jabs and the Falcons' defensive unit stranded the runner following a pair of groundouts to keep the visitors off the scoreboard. 
• Peyton Davis (North Haven, Conn.) worked a one-out walk in the bottom of the second but was left stranded when Ouellette induced a foul out and a strikeout to end the frame. 
• USJ threatened again in the third, putting runners on the corners with no outs, but Karissa Kerrs (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) nabbed a grounder before Jabs slammed the door from there, sandwiching a walk between a strikeout and a groundout to keep the Blue Jays at bay.
• The Falcons finally broke through in the bottom of the third, as Kerrs worked a leadoff walk and quickly swiped second base. From there, Geloso allowed Kerrs to advance to third on a single before Geloso stole second to put runners on second and third. 
• Saldivar followed with a perfect squeeze bunt to score Kerrs and give AMC the 1-0 advantage at the end of three. 
• Ouellette held the hosts in check from there, permitting only a hit-by-pitch to Ava Gladwin (Guilford, Conn.) in the fifth and a walk to Anna Leone (Shelton, Conn.) in the sixth to keep the deficit at one.   
• Following the Falcons' run in the third inning, Jabs shut the Blue Jays down, permitting just two hits over the final four innings to secure the 1-0 complete-game shutout victory.   

IN THE CIRCLE
WP: Annabelle Jabs (W, 2-3) | 7.0 IP | 6 H | 0 R | 0 ER | 1 BB | 7 SO 
LP: Kaitlyn Ouellette (L, 3-3) | 6.0 IP | 1 H | 1 R | 1 ER | 3 BB | 4 SO  

AT THE PLATE

• Saldivar recorded the game-winning RBI with a sacrifice squeeze bunt in the third inning. 
• Geloso recorded the Falcons' only hit. 
• Leone, Davis, and Kerrs all recorded a walk in the victory. 
• Kerrs and Geloso each stole a base in game one. 

KEY HIGHLIGHTS - Game 2

• The Blue Jays struck first in the top of the second, as a single, a walk, and a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third with one out. A fielder's choice scored the game's first run before the Falcons slammed the door with a pair of stellar defensive plays. 
• A groundout to the left side cut down the lead runner at the plate before a second fielder's choice nabbed the runner at third for the third out of the inning. 
• Following the Blue Jay's run in the second inning, both hurlers shut down the opposing offenses through the fourth inning. 
• Arent tossed back-to-back three-up, three-down innings, while Blue Jays hurler Alyssa Roberts worked around a walk and a single to keep the Falcons scoreless through four. 
• Gladwin whacked a one-out single and quickly stole second base before coming around to score two batters later when Saldivar ripped a frozen rope back up the middle to tie the game at 1-all. 
• USJ put runners on in the sixth but were unable to tally the go-ahead run, as Arent induced an inning-ending flyout to strand both runners and keep the game tied. 
• Erin Molkenthin (East Haddam, Conn.) singled with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but Roberts got Gladwin to fly out to end the frame, with the teams still tied at one after seven complete. 
• The teams transitioned to the eighth inning, where the Blue Jays capitalized offensively by scoring two runs on three hits for the two-run cushion, 3-1, heading into the bottom half of the frame. 
• Geloso led off the Falcons' final at-bat with a double to center field but was thrown out trying to extend the hit to a triple. Roberts needed no more help, inducing a pair of groundouts to hand the Falcons the 3-2 setback in the nightcap.           

IN THE CIRCLE
WP: Alyssa Roberts (W, 5-4) | 8.0 IP | 5 H | 2 R | 1 ER | 2 BB | 7 SO 
LP: Skylar Arent (L, 2-3) | 8.0 IP | 8 H | 3 R | 2 ER | 2 BB | 3 SO 

AT THE PLATE

• Saldivar finished with a team-high two hits and an RBI. 
• Geloso was 1-for-1 with a pinch-hit, RBI-double. 

UP NEXT

The Falcons return to the diamond on Monday, April 10th, for a road clash with the Lions of Eastern Nazarene College in a non-conference match-up. Game times are set for 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. at Griswold Park in Revere, Mass.