Cavanagh Puts on a Show as the Lasers Outlast Bethel

Fort Myers, FL- Conor Cavanagh (Quincy, MA) went 4-for-5 hitting with two doubles, one triple, a three-run home run, three runs scored, and eight RBI in an outstanding exhibition which led up to a 12-10 victory over Bethel University in the second game of a double header with the Royals on Wednesday afternoon.  

The game stood in a 10-10 stalemate at the top of the 7th with the top of the order on deck for the Lasers.   Sophomore Bobby Stachura (Middletown, CT) walked to set up the game-winning run which Cavanagh drove in after drilling a triple to the fence in right center field. Cavanagh was then brought home by Christopher Pittman (Brockton, MA) with a single down the right field line, giving the Lasers an insurance run with the win.

Starting on the mound for Lasell was southpaw Mike Mahoney (Rockland, MA) who picked up his first win of the season, pitching six innings with two strikeouts, as the Lasers overall record increased to 5-2.  Joshua Sullivan (Rockland, MA) secured his second save of the season as the closer, throwing one inning with one strikeout. 

After getting just six hits in the first game of the day, the Lasers bats came around with 15 total hits in the second contest.  In addition to Cavanagh, Sullivan hit 2-for-4 with three runs while Stachura went 3-for-3 with one double, adding four runs scored.  Pittman and Matt Mahoney (Rockland, MA) went 2-for-5 at the plate with Pittman earning two RBI and scoring one run and Mahoney knocking in one run. 

The game started with Lasell opening scoring in the third inning, taking a 4-0 edge through the top of the frame. Sullivan led off with a hit into the right center field gap to take first base and Stachura followed with a drive down the right field line to push Sullivan to third.  With runners on the corners, Uberti walked to load the bases.  Cavanagh stepped up to plate as the cleanup hitter knocking one deep down the right field yielding a two-RBI double, providing the Lasers with the early edge.

Pittman ran Uberti in on the next play on a ground-out play to first which also allowed Cavanagh to move into scoring position.  In an identical play, Matt Mahoney sent Cavanagh into home plate to earn the RBI and settle the score at 4-0.

In the bottom of the frame, Jay Slick shot a double out to the left centerfield fence, just out of reach of Cavanagh in center field.  The two-bag hit brought Anderson and Travis Piepho home.  Slick would then score on a single by Jesse Nickols.

The Royals go-ahead run got on base on a one-bagger by Ryan Hangartner, pushing Nickols, the game-tying runner, to second. Alex Hinseth took base on balls to load up the bags for Chris Davidson in the eight spot. Davidson walked to bring in Nickols for the 4-all tie. 

Bethel's bats were not done for the inning as Esteban Abbey sliced one into left center field to bring the go-ahead runner in, as well as a buffer run.  The Royals had a 6-4 edge heading into the fourth.

The Royals lead evaporated quickly after Sullivan was hit by a pitch and Stachura singled to put the tying runs on base. An Uberti groundout moved Sullivan to third and Stachura landed at second as Cavanagh stepped up to earn his 3rd and 4th RBI, blasting another double off the fence in right field.

Bethel's chances to advance were stifled by Lasell in second half of the inning when Pittman threw out Piepho as he aimed to steal second.  A ground out from Sullivan to Uberti sealed the second out and Mike Mahoney made the final out on strikes, stranding the go-ahead run on third. 

Four runs rounded the bags for Bethel in the fifth amidst two outs on the board.  Anderson unleashed a three-RBI triple into center field and then was brought into home plate by Slick with a knock right through the middle.  Bethel held a 10-6 edge at the end of five.

The top of the Lasell order was once against up to start the sixth inning, with Sullivan leading off with an infield single and Matt Mahoney dropping in a left field two-bagger with no outs. Enter Cavanagh, driving a three-run homer out of the park to bring Lasell within one run of tying the game.  Pittman followed with a hit up the middle and Mahoney propelled Pittman to third with another hit. Pittman scored on an error by Bethel's second baseman, with Carlton Lentini (Wilmington, MA) earning the RBI. 

Leading up to the final frame, the Lasers defense was successful in keeping the Bethel runners from scoring.  Pittman produced the final out of the inning, catching Hangartne as he tried to steal third. 

After Cavanagh's game-winning hit put Lasell ahead 12-10 in the seventh, the Lasers finished the bottom stretch with Sullivan stepping onto the hill from second base to close the game.  A pop-up and a strikeout started the inning before two Royal runners made it to base.  Appropriately, the final out of the game was made by Cavanagh with a fly ball to center field which shut the door on the Royals.

The senior outfielder doubled the Lasell College all-time record for most RBI in a single game, previously set at four during the 2009 season.

In the earlier game, Bethel put up big numbers, running away with a 17-2 win to break the Lasers' three game winning streak. 

Mike Sedjo scored for Bethel in the bottom of the second, putting the Royals ahead 1-0.  Sedjo walked and a Laser miscue on the throw advanced him to second.  A base-hit by Matt Rowley put him on the third base line and a sacrifice fly to left field by Sean Bethke brought him in. 

Two batters later, the Lasers found themselves with the bases loaded and one out.  David Freed batted in two more runs for the Royals with a single up the center of the field. One more Bethel score put the Royals on top 4-0 at the end of the half inning.

In the bottom of the frame, Pittman arrived at first on a Bethel error and progressed on a Matt Mahoney drive into left field. Both Lasers were left on the bags at the end of two.

Bethel increased their lead to six in the third as Bethke earned two RBI on a base hit which he smacked down the left line. Lasell then let up nine more runs to the Royals in the fourth inning while claiming two of their own in the bottom.

Matt Mahoney led off with a single, beating out the throw at first.  A sacrifice bunt by Lentini and a ground out by Jacob Salkovitz (Brockton, MA) brought Mahoney within one base of scoring.  Sean Ruderman (Pittsfield, MA) walked to set up Sullivan with runners on the corners.  Sullivan wrapped a two-run double to the fence in left center field, scoring both runners.

Randy Weiner (Randolph, MA) pitched two and third innings of relief, striking out Kaleb Connelley looking in the 6th.  Justin Reis (Roslyn, NY) also made his first appearance on the mound for the Lasers in the 7th, retiring two batters on strikes.  The Royals also added a final run in the frame. 

Matt Mahoney went 2-for-3 with one run in the game while Sullivan, Stachura, and William Uberti (Newton, MA) each went 1-for-3.  Sullivan also tallied the two RBI of the game for the Lasers.

Lasell returns to action on Thursday, March 17th for a double-header with Minnesota-Morris, beginning at 9:00 a.m. at Terry Park in Fort Myers, Florida.