SOFT: Albertus Magnus Wins GNAC Softball Championship For First Time Since 1997, Defeating Simmons In Deciding Game

Release Courtesy of Albertus Magnus Athletic Communications

BRIGHTON, Mass. - The Albertus Magnus College softball team won its second Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship in program history with a resounding 10-1 win - in six innings - over Simmons University in game three of the championship series. Simmons won game two, 1-0 to force the deciding game.

The title is the first for the Falcons' softball program since 1997.

Annabelle Jabs (East Hartland, Conn.) was named GNAC Tournament MVP while Mikaela Schwippert (Whippany, N.J.), Karla Carangelo (Cheshire, Conn.) and Amelia Boulli (Torrington, Conn.) were all named to the GNAC All-Tournament Team.

Jabs struck out eight batters in game two in a seven inning complete game. She also pitched the final inning of game three, striking out two.

Isabelle Smith (Meriden, Conn.) went 3-for-4 with a double and three runs in the deciding game.  Schwippert went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs. Reilly Austin (Cumberland, R.I.) was 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI in the final game. Amelia Ovalles (Lawrence, Mass.) was 1-for-3 with a run and two RBI.

Carangelo started game three and earned the win, throwing five innings, giving up just one run on five hits and two walks while striking out three.

On Monday at 11 a.m., the Falcons will learn who they will play in the upcoming Division III NCAA Tournament, which begin on Thursday.

GNAC Championship Series (Albertus wins series, 2-1)

Game 1 (May 8th): Albertus 5 | Simmons 2

Game 2 (May 10th): Simmons 1 | Albertus 0

Game 3 (May 10th): Albertus 10 | Simmons 1 (6 inn.)

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES Game 3

THE BASICS

FINAL: Albertus 10 | Simmons 1 (6 inn.)

RECORDS: Albertus (27-18) | Simmons (24-20)

BOX

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Falcons jumped on Simmons starter Trinity Hyde early, not allowing her to get an out in the game as Albertus plated three runs in the top of the first inning. Schwippert led off the inning with a walk. After a single from Smith, Boulli doubled down the right field line to score the first two runs. Boulli later came around to score after an error by the Sharks off the bat of Ovalles.
• Kinney came in relief for Hyde in the first inning and didn't allow a run in the second inning, but the Falcons scored one in the top of the third as Carangelo's doubled drove in Austin, who singled earlier in the inning.
• Albertus scored two more times in the fourth after a pop fly from Austin was dropped in the infield. Austin then added an RBI single in the top of the sixth as part of a four-run inning. Two batters later, Ovalles hit a two-run single and Barreiro followed with an RBI double to give the Falcons a commanding 10-0 lead.
• The Sharks scored a run in the bottom of the sixth, but Jabs struck out the final two batters of the game with the bases loaded, clinching the conference championship for the Falcons.

IN THE CIRCLE

Albertus

Karla Carangelo (W, 5-4) 5.0 IP | 5 Hits | 1 Run | 1 ER | 2 BB | 3 K

Annabelle Jabs 1.0 IP | 2 Hits | 0 Runs | 0 ER | 0 BB | 2 K

Simmons

Trinity Payne (L, 5-6) 0.0 IP | 2 Hits | 3 Runs | 2 ER | 1 BB | 0 K

Piper Kinney 5.2 IP | 10 Hits | 7 Runs | 5 ER | 1 BB | 4 K

Ally Hyde 0.1 IP | 0 Hits | 0 Runs | 0 ER | 0 BB | 0 K 

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES Game 2

THE BASICS

FINAL: Simmons 1 | Albertus 0

RECORDS: Albertus (26-18) | Simmons (24-19)

BOX

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After a scoreless first inning, the Sharks got on the board in the top of the second as Nevaeh Eth scored on a wild pitch with the bases loaded.
• Jabs got out of a jam in the top of the third, striking out the side while stranding Simmons runners on first and second.
• Albertus was held hitless by Simmons starter, Piper Kinney until the fifth inning when Gina Solow (Fairfield, Conn.) singled.
• Ovalles walked and Izzy Barreiro (Brookfield, Conn.) singled to put runners on first and second, but Simmons got out of the jam to force a deciding game three.

IN THE CIRCLE

Albertus

Annabelle Jabs (L, 15-9) 7.0 IP | 4 Hits | 1 Run | 0 ER | 2 BB | 8 K

Simmons

Piper Kinney (W, 19-7) 7.0 IP | 2 Hits | 0 Runs | 0 ER | 3 BB | 5 K 

AT THE PLATE

Albertus

Gina Solow 1-for-3

Izzy Barreiro 1-for-3

Simmons

Nevaeh Eth 1-for-3 | 1 Run

NOTEWORTHY

• Jabs went 5-2 in the GNAC Tournament, throwing 40.2 innings with a 1.38 ERA while striking out 37.
• Carangelo batted .370 with three runs and five RBI in the GNAC tournament.
• Schwippert scored six runs and drove in three while drawing nine walks with a .429 on-base percentage.
• Boulli drove in seven runs and scored eight while batting .320 in the tournament.
• Smith batted a team-high .414 with 10 runs and two RBI in the tournament.
• Ovalles drove in a team-high eight runs and Austin drove in seven runs in the tournament.

All-Tournament Team

Albertus Magnus: Karla Carangelo, Mikaela Schwippert, Amelia Boulli, Annabelle Jabs (MVP)

Emmanuel: Carmen Crockett, Emely Rodriguez

Rivier: Liv Harnish, Hayley Rapgalia

Simmons: Piper Kinney, Zoe Soule, Nevaeh Eth

ABOUT THE GREAT NORTHEAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 14 member institutions and over 4000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 20 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.

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