Lasers Continue to Improve Upon Best Start in Program History Posting 8-7 Win over Westminster

Fort Myers, FL- Improving upon the best start in the Lasell College baseball program history, the Lasers posted an 8-7 victory over Westminster College of Missouri on Monday morning at Terry Park. Matt Pitts (Stoneham, MA) earned the win on the mound for Lasell in five innings work while Joshua Sullivan (Rockland, MA) shut the door for the Lasers in the ninth, picking up the save.

The Lasers stand at the top of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) standings currently boasting a 4-1 record for the year.

Sullivan had an outstanding all-around performance, going 4-for-5 at the plate with two runs and two RBI to lead the Lasers bats.  The junior pitcher and infielder also went 6-for-6 in the field and added two strikeouts on the mound in two thirds of an inning.

Pitts sat down one batter on K's and permitted just four hits in the five frames, with no earned runs credited to him. 

Billy Uberti (Newton, MA) and Matt Mahoney (Rockland, MA) each added one hit, one run, and two RBI.

Christopher Pittman (Brockton, MA) and Corey Michel (Rochester, NH) chipped in with a hit each while Jacob Salkovitz (Brockton, MA) and Carlton Lentini (Wilmington, MA) came around the bags once each for the Lasers and Bobby Stachura (Middletown, CT) came home twice.

Westminster put one run up in the first inning as Nick Genetti got on base with a tough hit through the left side and scored after Andrew Jett poked one out to the fence in right field which sent Genetti from first to home.

Lasell's response was three runs in the bottom half of the frame beginning when Matt Mahoney got a base hit into left field and Sullivan followed with a two-bag bullet which scored Mahoney and advanced Sullivan to third on the throw.  Uberti walked and both runners were brought in by Conor Cavanagh (Quincy, MA) and Pittman in back-to-back at-bats. The inning ended with Lasell ahead 3-1.

The score tied in the second frame when V.J.Reynolds made it to base after being hit by pitch and rounded into scoring position on a base hit by Nick Hoag.  Reynolds came home on a fielder's choice by Andy Pichler to cut the gap to one.  The Blue Jays tied the game on a Genetti double down the right field line which scored Hoag.  Monte Gibbs attempted to put the Blue Jays ahead stealing home on the throw but the Lasers defensive team of Mike Mahoney in right field, Uberti at first, and Matt Mahoney behind home plate put out Gibbs as he dove into home plate.

Lasell regained a 5-3 lead in the second stretch of the third.  Stachura was hit by a pitch and an error on Westminster third baseman Evan White put Uberti through.  Stachura moved into scoring position on a sac bunt by Salkovitz and scored on a ground ball by Matt Mahoney to put the Lasers back on top.  Sullivan then slashed a hit through the left to score Lentini and make it a two run game.

Momentum shifted again in the top of the third inning when the Blue Jays pulled ahead 6-5 on one hit and two errors.  All three runs were unearned for Pitts who came in at the top of the third inning to relieve Christopher Pittman (Brockton, MA).

The final swing of score happened in the bottom of the fourth.  Stachura got into scoring position after two Blue Jay errors and scored when Matt Mahoney grounded out down the first base line allowing Stachura to come home.  Sullivan pushed Salkovitz to third with a base hit to the short stop which he beat out to first.  Uberti smashed a double down the right field line to score Sullivan from first and Salkovitz at third swapping the lead.  Lasell held an 8-6 advantage after the fourth.

Pitts sat Matt Mallette on strikes to start the fifth inning. The Blue Jays did not score in the inning to maintain the Lasers edge. However, in the seventh inning, Jett scored, unearned, to bring the Blue Jays back within one run, 8-7.

In the ninth, Sullivan was sent to the mound to make the save, after Jett was walked to start the frame. A ground out and two strike outs ensued to protect the Lasers victory.

Lasell will take Tuesday off and return to action in Florida on Wednesday, March 16^th for a double-header at 9:00 a.m.  and noon against Bethel College.