NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Norwich University softball team picked up its first victory of the 2017 season in a split of Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader at Albertus Magnus College on Saturday afternoon. 

Sophomore pitcher Rachel Johnson (Stockbridge, Vt.) fired a complete game one-hitter to lead the Cadets to a 2-0 victory in Game 1. Albertus Magnus rallied in Game 2, taking a 7-0 win to salvage a split of the twinbill. 

Norwich (1-11, 1-3 GNAC) scored two runs in the top of the first inning and then never looked back en route to its first victory of the year. Sophomore Emily Oliver (Sagamore Hills, Ohio) and freshman Makenna Wade (Pensacola, Fla.) had back-to-back RBI singles to score Sarah Perry (New Bedford, Mass.) and Justina George (Wallingford, Conn.) for Game 1's only runs. 

Johnson took over from there with one of the most dominant performances of her collegiate career, striking out nine and walking just one. Morgan Shura's fifth inning single was the only thing separating Johnson from a no-hitter. 

Johnson outdueled Albertus Magnus' ace Megan Ferraro, handing her just her second loss of the season to drop to 8-2 on the year. 

Game 2 was almost a complete 180 as Albertus Magnus' Laura Anderson fired her own complete game one-hitter to lead the Falcons to the 7-0 win. Wade had the lone hit for Norwich in the second game. 

Anderson also went 2-for-3 at the plate with three RBIs to lead the Falcons' offense as well. Eight of the nine Albertus Magnus starters had at least one hit as Albertus Magnus had 13 hits in the second game. 

Oliver was saddled with the loss, giving up three earned runs on 10 hits and three walks in four innings to fall to 0-6 on the year. 

Albertus Magnus is now 12-6 overall and 3-1 in GNAC play. 

Norwich will play at Simmons on Sunday at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. in another GNAC doubleheader.