WORCESTER, Mass. - The Albertus Magnus College softball team made program history, winning its first ever NCAA Tournament game, defeating No. 17 (NPI) Stockton, 7-6 in a thrilling walkoff game, before having its season come to an end the following game in a 9-0 loss to the No. 4 team in the country, Worcester Polytechnic Institute on Saturday afternoon.
Annabelle Jabs (East Hartland, Conn.) picked up the win against Stockton, striking out six in a seven inning performance, allowing two earned runs on six hits and four walks.
Amelia Ovalles (Lawrence, Mass.) went 2-for-4 with a two-run double. Izzy Barreiro (Brookfield, Conn.) went 2-for-3 with an RBI and scored the game-winning run. Gina Solow (Fairfield, Conn.) went 2-for-4. Her hit in the bottom of the seventh led to two runs.
Mikaela Schwippert (Whippany, N.J.) went 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI in game one and had two more hits in game two, including her 100th career hit.
The Falcons finished their historic season with a 28-20 record, which included a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) championship, its first NCAA tournament berth and tournament win in program history.
Jabs finishes her career at Albertus with 380 strikeouts, which is second all-time. She also won 40 career games, which is third all-time in program history. Her 441 innings pitched ranks her first all-time at Albertus.
Game 1 vs. Stockton
THE BASICS
FINAL: Albertus 7 | Stockton 6
RECORDS: Albertus (28-19) | Stockton (30-9)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Falcons jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a two-run double by Ovalles after the Falcons drew three walks to load the bases.
- Barreiro gave the Falcons a 3-0 lead in the in bottom of the third as Barreiro singled home Amelia Boulli (Torrington, Conn.), who walked to lead off the inning.
- Jabs got out of a jam in the top of the fourth, leaving runners on first and second.
- Gianna Carrano (West Haven, Conn.) led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a single and Schwippert ripped a ball to left centerfield for an RBI double, putting the Falcons up, 4-0.
- Stockton got a run back in the top of the fifth on an RBI single by McKenna George, and were held to just the one run as Isabelle Smith (Meriden, Conn.) turned a 5-3 double play after a ball was hit to her at third base by Alexa Panagopoylos. The Falcons answered in the bottom of the inning as Kaitlyn Scribner (Quaker Hill, Conn.) scored on a wild pitch after running for Barreiro, who singled.
- Stockton tied the game in the top of the sixth as the Ospreys scored four runs. After scoring on a throwing error by the Falcons, Regan Mendick hit an RBI pinch hit double and two batters later, Camryn Harry tied the game with a two-run double.
- After the Falcons were retired in the bottom of the sixth, Stockton loaded the bases with one out in the top of the seventh. Emma Coldsnow then popped up the ball in the infield but the ball dropped. Jabs then picked up the ball, threw it to Barreiro for the force at home. Barreiro then threw to third to get the other force to complete the double play to end the inning. However, after a discussion with the umpires and coaches, the umpires ruled the infield fly rule was in effect and the runner needed to be tagged at home. Stockton was awarded the run and took a 6-5 lead.
- In the bottom of the seventh, Ovalles began the rally with a one out single. After Barreiro was hit by a pitch, Tessa D'Aquila (Old Saybrook, Conn.) came into pinch run at second base for Ovalles. Solow followed with a line drive off the diving glove of Stockton shortstop, Emily Clauss. D'Aquila stopped at third, but after Stockton threw the ball away, Barreiro broke towards third and both runners were on third base. D'Aquila was then caught in a run down between third and home and as Barreiro attempted to go back to second, she was then caught in a rundown after D'Aquila got back safely on third. While Barreiro was in a rundown of her own, D'Aquila then broke towards home once again, and the throw from Panagopoylos at third base went to the backstop and D'Aquila slid in safely, followed by Barreiro with the winning run to give the Falcons the win.
IN THE CIRCLE
Albertus
Annabelle Jabs (W, 16-10) 7 IP | 6 Hits | 3 Runs | 2 ER | 4 BB | 6 K
Amelia Ovalles 0.0 IP | 2 Hits | 3 Runs | 3 ER | 1 BB | 0 K
Stockton
Elizabeth Martin 4.0 IP | 4 Hits | 4 Runs | 4 ER | 6 BB | 2 K
Casey Sokol 2.1 IP | 4 Hits | 3 Runs | 1 ER | 0 BB | 2 K
AT THE PLATE
Albertus
Amelia Ovalles 2-for-4 | 1 2B | 2 RBI
Izzy Barreiro 2-for-3 | 1 Run | 1 RBI
Amelia Boulli 2 BB | 2 Runs
Mikaela Schwippert 1-for-3 | 1 2B | 1 Run | 1 RBI
Gina Solow 2-for-4
Stockton
Emily Clauss 2-for-4 | 1 2B | 2 Runs
Cassie Stallwood 2-for-3 | 1 Run
Evangelina Kim 1 BB | 2 Runs
Camryn Harry 1-for-2 | 2 RBI
Game 2 vs. WPI
THE BASICS
FINAL: WPI 9 | Albertus 0
RECORDS: Albertus (28-20) | WPI (44-4)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- WPI scored three runs in the top of the first inning on a three-run homer by Emma Nagy. It was the first of two home runs on the day for Nagy.
- The Falcons had runners on first and second with one out in the bottom of the first but were unable to get a run across.
- The Engineers scored four more runs in top of the second, including a two-run homer by Sandy Fairbairn and RBI singles by Elizabeth Jordan and Riley O'Brien
- Nagy added her second home run in the top of the fourth and Jordan added another RBI single in the fifth.
- Albertus had runners on first and second in the bottom of the fourth and bottom of the fifth, but WPI was able to get out of the jam.
IN THE CIRCLE
Albertus
Karla Carangelo (L, 5-5) 1.1 IP | 5 Hits | 6 Runs | 6 ER | 3 BB | 1 K
Tessa D'Aquila 3.2 IP | 6 Hits | 3 Runs | 1 ER | 0 BB | 2 K
WPI
Abby Merchang (W, 25-0) 4.) IP | 5 Hits | 0 Runs | 0 ER | 1 BB | 3 K
Kaitlyn Barr 1.0 IP | 1 Hit | 0 Runs | 0 ER | 1 BB | 1 K
AT THE PLATE
Albertus
Mikaela Schwippert 2-for-3
Gina Solow 1-for-1 | 1 BB
WPI
Emma Nagy 2-for-3 | 2 HR | 3 Runs | 4 RBI
Sandy Fairbairn 1-for-3 | 1 HR | 2 Runs | 2 RBI
Elizabeth Jordan 2-for-3 | 1 Run | 2 RBI
Lucy Latour 2-for-3 | 1 2B | 1 Run
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