Albertus, JWU, and Simmons join USJ in Pod Finals Play
WINTHROP, Mass. - #2S Albertus Magnus, #1S Johnson & Wales, and #3N Simmons will play in their respective Pod Finals with a spot in the 2025 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship Series next weekend on the line. The Falcons earned their spot to the Pod A finals, which will be a rematch of earlier Pod Play against intrastate rival and #2S seed University of Saint Joseph (Conn.). The Blue Jays will now host Pod A finals play tomorrow at noon due to weather/field conditions earlier today at Rivier delayed their initial 4 pm game to tomorrow. With a win, USJ heads into the Championship series. If the Falcons win, they will not only force a final Pod A game against the Blue Jays but they will also earn the ability to host that game on Monday, May 5th at Albertus Magnus with an anticipated 3 PM start.
JWU remained unbeaten after defeating #2N Emmanuel following a 3-0 comeback in the final inning, winning on a walk-off to clinch a spot in the Championship Series, which will still be held by the host Wildcats with a 2 PM start tomorrow (30 minutes after if another game is necessary). They will face #3N Simmons, who needed two victories over #5S Regis (5-0) and against Emmanuel in order to clinch a spot in the Pod B Finals. If Johnson & Wales wins, they head to the Championship series whereas the Sharks need two victories in a row tomorrow to keep their hopes of repeating in the tournament alive.
POD A
Game 8A - #3S University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) vs. #2S Albertus Magnus, 12pm*
Game 9A - Game 8A opponents, If necessary (TBD**)
*Due to Weather/Field Conditions, Game 8A was moved from Rivier and will now be hosted at the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) on Sunday, May 4.
**If Game 9A is necessary, it will be held at Albertus Magnus College on Monday, May 5 with a time to be determined.
Pod B
(Hosted by No. 1S Johnson & Wales)
Game 8B - #1S Johnson & Wales vs. #3N Simmons, 2 PM
Game 9B - Game 8B opponents, If necessary (approximately 30 mins after)
Recap/Photo Courtesy of Albertus Magnus Athletic Communications
NASHUA, N.H. - An RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning from Amelia Boulli (Torrington, Conn.) capped a comeback for the Albertus Magnus College softball team as it defeated Rivier University, 3-2 in pod play at the GNAC Championship.
Boulli's single came with two outs in the bottom of the sixth to score Mikaela Schwippert (Whippany, N.J.). Boulli's glove also did plenty of work in the field with a diving catch to start the fourth inning and a sliding catch on her knees to end the fifth.
Isabelle Smith (Meriden, Conn.) had a two-run double for the Falcons.
Annabelle Jabs (East Hartland, Conn.) struck out six in 4.1 innings. Skylar Arent (Ridgefield, Conn.) pitched 2.2 innings of scoreless relief, striking out four batters and earning her 13th win of the season.
With the win, the Falcons stayed alive in the GNAC Championship and will face the Unviersity of Saint Joseph (Conn.) at 4 p.m. later today (Saturday). Rivier was eliminated.
THE BASICS
FINAL: Albertus Magnus 3 | Rivier 2
RECORDS: Albertus (27-16) | Rivier (22-15)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Both teams went in order in the first as Jabs retired the top of the first in order, striking out the final two batters. She also got out of an early scoring threat as she struck out Olivia Couto with a runner on third.
- Albertus threatened in the bottom of the second with runners on second and third after a double from Colleen Edwards (Clinton, Conn.) and a single by Boulli, but Rivier pitcher, Hailey Berube was able to get out of the jam with a strikeout.
- With runners on first and second with one out in the top of the third, Jabs once again ended the threat with a strikeout of Hayleigh Silva and then snagging a line drive by Hannah Muchemore.
- In the top of the fourth Boulli laid out for a diving catch in right field off the bat of Sophia Quinlan, saving what would have been an extra-base hit.
- Rivier broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fifth with two runs as the first three batters reached base before Muchemore's infield single scored Berube, who led off the inning with a single of her own. After Arent came in to pitch for Jabs, Kylee Caetano had an RBI single. Arent was able to limit the damage, getting the final batter to fly out.
- Berube was able to keep the Albertus bats at bay through the first four innings, allowing just two hits, but the Falcons were able to tie the game up in the bottom of the fifth inning. After Boulli was hit by a pitch and a single by Izzy Barreiro (Brookfield, Conn.), Smith ripped a two-out, two-run double to left center to make it a 2-2 game.
- After using her glove earlier in the game, Boulli used her bat in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI single to give the Falcons the 3-2 lead. With one out in the inning, Schwippert and Carangelo hit back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second. Two batters later, Boulli poked the ball into centerfield to drive in Schwippert to give Albertus its first lead of the game.
- Rivier threatened in the top of the seventh as the Raiders had runners on the corners with no one out. But Arent was able to strike out Muchemore and Quinlan before getting Caetano to fly out to seal the win.
ON THE HILL
Albertus
Annabelle Jabs 4.1 IP | 7 Hits | 2 Runs | 2 ER | 1 BB | 6 K
Skylar Arent (W, 13-5) 2.2 IP | 2 Hits | 0 Runs | 0 ER | 1 BB | 4 K
Rivier
Hailey Berube (L, 10-8) 6.0 IP | 7 Hits | 3 Runs | 3 ER | 0 BB | 4 K
AT THE PLATE
Albertus
Amelia Boulli 2-for-2 | 1 Run | 1 RBI
Isabelle Smith 1-for-3 | 1 2B | 2 RBI
Mikaela Schwippert 1-for-3 | 1 Run
Rivier
Kylee Caetano 2-for-4 | 1 RBI
Kayla Miles 2-for-3 | 1 Run
NOTEWORTHY
Albertus is now 33-24 all-time against Rivier.
Smith is 5-for-11 with three runs and three RBI thus far in the GNAC Championship.
Recap/Photo Courtesy of Johnson & Wales Athletic Communications
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Freshman Morgan Pelletier laced a two-run double to cap a four-run seventh and lift the JWU (Providence) softball team to an improbably 4-3 win over Emmanuel (MA) College in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Saturday afternoon at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletic Complex.
With the win, the Wildcats (26-14) advance to the finals of the pod and will meet the winner of the Saints contest with Simmons University at noon on Sunday in Providence.
Trailing by three heading into the bottom of the seventh, senior Mackenzie Clee started the Wildcats rally with a one-out single to left center and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Sophomore Amanda Madigan followed with a walk and both runners then advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch.
Junior Mady Lyons plated Clee with the first JWU run with a single to left before senior Caroline Amorelli reached on an error to score Madigan and push Lyons over to third. Pelletier – who smashed two home runs in the playoff opener against Regis (MA) on Thursday – then ripped a double to left center that scored both Lyons and Amorelli to set off a raucous celebration.
Junior Jillian Reed came on in relief of senior starter Katie Scheid in the sixth to earn the win and improve to 11-3 on the season. She scattered four hits and struck out a pair in two innings of work.
Recap/Photo Courtesy of Simmons Athletics Communications
Recap Coming Soon!