Offensive Struggles Halt Lasers at Norwich in Baseball

Northfield, Vt. (4/17/13) - The Lasell College baseball team suffered a pair of close defeats in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference doubleheader at Norwich University, falling 5-2 and 2-1. The sweep pushed Norwich's record to 5-17 on the season and 4-8 in the GNAC while Lasell dropped to 11-17 overall and 7-7 in league action.

Game One:

Bobby Ellard (Medfield, Mass.) had three of the Lasers six hits on the afternoon, and Corey Michel (Rochester, N.H.) scored a run and drove one in and the Lasers left 14 runners on base. Matti Doxter (Somersoworth, N.H.) took the loss, allowing four runs on five hits in three and a third innings of work before giving way to Vinny Romano (Yonkers, N.Y.) who went the final two and two third innings while allowing three hits and one run while striking out four.

Lasell loaded the bases on three walks with one out in the top of the first inning, but were unable to get any runs on the board. The Cadets used three doubles in the home half of the first to plate a pair of runs and go on top 2-0. 

A pair of walks and an error allowed Michel to come in to score in the top of the second helping Lasell trim the lead to 2-1. Norwich tacked on another run in the bottom of the third, loading the bases with nobody out. Doxter induced a run scoring double play groundball and followed by getting another groundout to end the treat with Norwich in front 3-1.

The Lasers stranded a pair of runners in the top of the fourth, and Norwich added their fourth run of the contest on an RBI single to go up 4-1.

Lasell stranded three runners in the top of the fifth inning and failed to score in the top of the sixth inning before Norwich pushed their lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly. 

Lasell used a pair of singles and a walk to load the bases with two outs in the top of the seventh. A single by Corey Michel knocked in the second runn of the game for Lasell making it 5-2. The rally was snuffed out when Billy Uberti (Newton, Mass.) was retired to end the game as Lasell took the loss.

Game Two:

Dan Gagnon (Pomfret Center, Conn.) recorded a triple in two at-bats for Lasell, and Billy Uberti was 1 for 4 with a double as the Lasers lost the second game of the afternoon 2-1. Kevin Post (Cromwell, Conn.) was the hard-luck loser, allowing two runs, one earned on one hit and two walks while striking out nine. 

A leadoff walk followed by a sacrifice bunt which moved the runner all the way to third base allowed the Cadets to take a 1-0 lead on an RBI groundout in the bottom of the first inning.

Lasell threatened in the top of the second, using Gagnon's triple a walk and a hit batsmen to load the bases with one out, but the next two Lasers were retired ending the threat with Norwich still holding their 1-0 lead.

Lasell loaded the bases again in the top of the third with two outs to no avail, as the Cadets escaped the rouble unscathed once again.

Norwich added a run in the bottom of the third inning when Post hit their leadoff batter, who then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, stole third and scored on an error to push the Cadets edge to 2-0.

Lasell was able to push a run across in the top of the seventh when Rob Madden's (Hingham, Mass.) RBI groundout scored Corey Michel, but Lasell was unable to eke out another run and fell 2-1.

Lasell is back in action Thursday evening when they host Nichols College in a non-conference match-up at 7:00 p.m.