Lasers Drop a Pair of GNAC Games to Lions

BOSTON, MA-- The Lasell College Baseball team dropped a pair of Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) contests to Emerson College, 9-5 and 10-9, on Sunday afternoon.  The Lasers are now 2-8 overall and an even 2-2 in league play.

Lasell fell behind 5-0 early in the first game with the Lions before scoring the first of their runs in the fourth inning.  Bobby Stachura (Middletown, CT) brought home the first two runs with a triple that scored James O’Neil (San Diego, CA) and Conor Cavanagh (Quincy, MA). Stachura scored the third of Lasell’s runs when Jim Amon (Warren, NJ) grounded out to the second baseman, making the score 5-3.

After another Emerson tally in the bottom of the fourth, Lasell closed the gap to a one-run game in the fifth.  Josh Sullivan (Rockland, MA) and Herb Chappell (Salem, CT) waited out the pitcher to earn the base on balls at which point Cavanagh belted a double which scored the two runners. 

The hosts added three more runs in the sixth inning to cushion their victory.

In the second contest, Lasell jumped out on top when Cavanagh doubled and plated Stachura in the first inning.  Emerson countered with an unearned run in the bottom of the frame, when, with bases loaded, the Lasers defense was delinquent allowing Austin Fontanella (Pelham, NH) to come home on the error.

Emerson took the lead in the second inning, 5-1, scoring four runs on three hits.  Lasell responded by scoring three runs, batting from the top of the order, in the third.  O’Neil hit a ground-rule double to bring in Carlton Lentini (Wilmington, MA) and then scored unearned on a Lion error. Sullivan earned the RBI on a base-hit for the third run of the stanza, scored by Cavanagh.

The Lasers then obtained a one-run advantage in the top of the fourth.  Mike Grenier (Fitchburg, MA) walked and set the stage to score the run as Lentini dropped in a two-base hit. Cavanagh produced his second RBI of the game on a single that sent Lentini home.

By the top of the seventh, the Lasers had fallen behind 10-7 after four Emerson runs in the fourth, and Emerson’s game-winning run in the sixth.  Sullivan and Junior Veiga (Randolph, MA) scored, brining the game to within one run.  Jake Salkovitz (Brockton, MA) was left in scoring position on third when the final out was made with a ground out to the Lions short stop.

Cavanagh was 4-6 with six RBI, two doubles, and two runs in the doubleheader.  Sullivan finished 2-4 in the second game with two runs and one run batted in and Lentini had three hits, two runs and one RBI in the nightcap.

Relief pitcher Randy Weiner (Randolph, MA) was charged with the loss, pitching two and a third innings, relinquishing three hits and one run, while striking out two Lions.

Lasell’s next game will be against Framingham State College in a non-conference contest on Wednesday, March 31^st at 7:00 p.m. at Brandeis University.