NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The Albertus Magnus College softball team will return to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship Series for the first time since 2015 as the Falcons - the top seed in the south division - defeated the third seed in the north, Rivier University, 8-4 and 13-1 in two must-win games in the Pod B finals of the conference tournament.

Annabelle Jabs (East Hartland, Conn.) started both games in the circle, pitching 10 innings on the day, allowing just two earned runs, striking out six and picking up both wins.

Four Falcons had at least three hits on the day. Isabelle Smith (Meriden, Conn.) went 3-for-6 with three runs and an RBI. Izzy Barreiro went 3-for-7 with a run and Karla Carangelo (Cheshire, Conn.) and Gina Solow (Fairfield, Conn.) each went 3-for-8. Carangelo added an RBI and Solow scored three runs and drove in a run.

Reilly Austin (Cumberland, R.I.) had two doubles on the day, driving in four runs and scoring two while Amelia Boulli (Torrington, Conn.) drove in three runs and scored two. Mikaela Schwippert (Whippany, N.J.) drew five walks on the day from the leadoff spot and scored three runs while driving in one and Amelia Ovalles (Lawrence, Mass.) hit a bases loaded triple in game two.

The Falcons will look for their second GNAC title - and first since 1997 - as they will take on the top seed in the GNAC North Division, Simmons University in a best-of-three series. Simmons will host all three games.

GNAC Championship Series Schedule (best-of-three | All games at Simmons University)

Friday, May 8 

Game 8: #1S: Albertus Magnus vs. #1N Simmons University, 5 p.m.

Saturday, May 9

Game 9: #1S: Albertus Magnus vs. #1N Simmons University, Noon

Game 10 #1S: Albertus Magnus vs. #1N Simmons University, 2 p.m. (if necessary)

GAME 1

THE BASICS

FINAL: Albertus 8 | Rivier 4

RECORDS: Albertus (24-17) | Rivier (17-22)

BOX

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Both teams had the bases loaded in the first inning but were unable to get a run across the plate as Jabs and her counterpart, Hayley Rapaglia of Rivier were both able to get out of the jam.
• The Falcons - playing as the road team - got on the board in the top of the second scoring two runs. After a walk to Barreiro to start the inning, Solow singled to rightfield. But a misplay in the outfield allowed the ball to go all the way to the fence as Barreiro made it around to score. Three batters later, Smith singled to score Solow. 
• Rivier got its deficit in half with a run in the third on a sacrifice fly by Rapaglia.
• With runners on the corner in the top of the fourth, Rivier tried to backpick Schwippert who was on third. The ball was thrown away and Schwippert scored while Kaitlyn Scribner (Quaker Hill, Conn.) - who pinch ran for Boulli - advanced to third. Scribner later scored on an error by the Raiders after a ground ball to third off the bat of Austin was thrown away, giving Albertus the 4-1 lead.
• The Falcons tacked on three more runs in the top of the fifth. With runners on second and third after two walks earlier in the inning, Boulli hit a slow roller to first base. The Rivier infield did not make a play on the ball, allowing both Schwippert and Carrano to score, making it a 6-1 game. Carangelo drove in Boulli with a single two batters later making it a 7-1 game.
• Schwippert added a sacrifice fly in the in the sixth to make it an 8-1 game.
• The Raiders rallied for two runs in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run single, making it an 8-3 game. Rivier left two runners on base in the inning. The Raiders would add one more run in the seventh.

IN THE CIRCLE

Albertus

Annabelle Jabs (W, 13-8) 5.0 IP | 3 Hits | 1 Run | 1 ER | 2 BB | 2 K

Madison Wilson 1.0 IP | 4 Hits | 3 Runs | 3 ER | 2 BB | 1 K

Amelia Ovalles 1.0 IP | 0 Hits | 0 Runs | 0 ER | 0 BB | 2 K

Rivier

Hayley Rapaglia (L, 5-7) 4.0 IP | 3 Hits | 4 Runs | 2 ER | 8 BB | 2 K

Hayleigh Silva 3.0 IP | 3 Hits | 4 Runs | 4 ER | 4 BB | 0 K

AT THE PLATE

Albertus

Gina Solow 2-for-4 | 2 Runs

Mikaela Schwippert 3 BB | 2 Runs

Amelia Boulli 1-for-3 | 3 BB | 1 Run | 1 RBI

Rivier

Savannah Hansen 1-for-1 | 2 RBI

Hayley Rapaglia 1-for-2 | 1 BB | 1 Run | 1 RBI

GAME 2

THE BASICS

FINAL: Albertus 13 | Rivier 1

RECORDS: Albertus (25-17) | Rivier (17-23)

BOX

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After a scoreless first inning for both teams in the first inning, Rivier - designated as the home team - got on the board in the bottom of the second on an RBI single from Sophia Quinlan.
• The Falcons tied the game at 1-1 after an error from Rivier on a throw to first after a groundball from Boulli scored Schwippert, who walked to lead off the inning.
• Both teams left a runner on base in the fourth inning, but the Falcons were able to break open the game in the final three innings, beginning with two runs in the top of the fifth, including an RBI double from Austin.
• In the top of the sixth, the Falcons added three more runs, all coming with two outs. Boulli hit a two-run double to score Smith and Scribner. Austin then followed with her second RBI double in as many innings to make it a 6-1 game.
• Albertus blew the game open in the top of the seventh, scoring seven runs and sending 12 batters to the plate. With runners on first and second with no outs, Solow got the scoring going with an RBI single to score Ovalles, who walked to lead off the inning. Pinch hitter Hailey Summers (Putnam, Conn.) then came up and sent the ball to deep centerfield field for a two-run double, making it a 9-1 game. Austin later drew a bases loaded walk to score a run, and Ovalles came up again in the inning with a bases-loaded triple to right-centerfield to give the Falcons a commanding 13-1 lead.
• Ovalles and Tessa D'Aquila (Old Saybrook, Conn.) combined to pitch the final two innings of scoreless relief to secure the win.

IN THE CIRCLE

Albertus

Annabelle Jabs (W, 14-8) 5.0 IP | 7 Hits | 1 Run | 1 ER | 1 BB | 4 K

Amelia Ovalles 1.1 IP | 0 Hits | 0 Runs | 0 ER | 0 BB | 2 K

Tessa D'Aquila 0.2 IP | 1 Hit | 0 Runs | 0 ER | 1 BB | 0 K

Rivier

Hayleigh Silva (L, 0-3) 6.0 IP | 9 Hits | 6 Runs | 4 ER | 4 BB | 0 K

Hayley Rapaglia 1.0 IP | 4 Hits | 7 Runs | 7 ER | 5 BB | 1 K

AT THE PLATE

Albertus

Reilly Austin 2-for-4 | 2 2B | 2 Runs | 3 RBI

Isabelle Smith 2-for-2 | 2 BB | 3 Runs

Amelia Boulli 1-for-4 | 1 2B | 1 BB | 2 Runs | 2 RBI

Amelia Ovalles 1 3B | 1 Run | 3 RBI

Hailey Summers 1-for-1 | 1 2B | 1 Run | 2 RBI

Rivier

Hayley Rapaglia 2-for-3

Sophia Quinlan 1-for-3 | 1 RBI

NOTEWORTHY

Ovalles and Austin led the Falcons with six RBI apiece in Pod B.

Smith and Boulli each led the Falcons with six runs scored in Pod B

Carangelo and Smith each led the Falcons with eight hits in Pod B.

Jabs was 4-1 in Pod B, throwing 25.2 innings with a 1.64 ERA while striking out 21.

Albertus drew 41 walks over five games in Pod B.