Baseball Earns GNAC Split with Albertus Magnus

Waltham, Mass. (04/11/16) The Lasell baseball team split a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader against Albertus Magnus on Monday evening at Stein Diamond on the campus of Brandeis University. The Lasers earned their first win in the GNAC (1-3) and improved to 9-11 on the season while the Falcons advanced to 7-13 and also earned their first conference win of the year (1-3).

Game One: Albertus Magnus: 9 Lasell: 8

Senior Wes Hurty (Windsor, Conn.) reached base three times and drove in three runners, while classmate Skylar Beckerman (Pensacola, Fla.) earned a two run double and scored a run himself. Junior Hector Coscione (Newton, Mass.) scored twice and knocked in a runner as well in the effort.

For the Falcons, senior Justin Poirier (Meriden, Conn.) was a triple away from the cycle while driving in two runners and scoring twice while fellow classmate Steven Lockman (Wallingford, Conn.) also swung into three hits. Freshman Mike Browne (New Fairfield, Conn.) drove in three runs on two hits, while seniors Tyler Robertson (Cheshire, Conn.) and Ted Gravel (Morris, Conn.) both earned two hits and scored twice in game one.

The Falcons got the bats going early against the Lasers beginning with a two run homer by Poirier in the first. After senior Dan Gagnon (Pomfret, Conn.) and Coscione turned a double play to begin the second, the Falcons began a two out rally against the Lasers, earning six singles and scoring six runs to take an early 9-0 lead. 

The Lasers put up four runs in the bottom of the third with an RBI single by Coscione followed by a two-run double by Beckerman. Lasell put two more runs on the board in the fifth after a two run double to center field by Hurty. Pinch hitter Dom Mascolo (Waterbury, Conn.) hit a solo homer to pull within two runs of the Falcons, and Hurty's RBI single made it a one run game. However, the Lasers were unable to complete the comeback in the final inning of the game.

Junior starting pitcher Casey Johnson (Windsor, Conn.) allowed nine runs (three earned) on 10 hits in two innings for the Lasers while his counterpart junior Christopher Rivera (New Britain, Conn.) pitched a complete game for the Falcons, allowing eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits with eight K's.. Freshman Brian Cohen (Rockland, Mass.) came on for Lasell in the third and did not allow a single run over five innings tossed.

Game Two: Lasell: 6 Albertus Magnus: 0

Gagnon began the hot hitting for Lasell ripping three hits and drove in two runs while three-hitter Coscione ripped two doubles and drove in a run for the Lasers. Beckerman cracked two singles and scored a run to help end the Lasers' three game losing skid.

Freshman starter Dan Petr (East Haven, Conn.) had a perfect game on the hil until the fourth inning when Falcons' freshman Derwin Nunez (Bridgeport, Conn.) singled down the left field line to end the perfect bid. Senior Mike Saia (Bridgeport Conn.) and freshman Dean Gullo (Northford, Conn.) both had singles for the Falcons in game two.

Lasell took an early lead over the visitors in the first inning when Coscione had an RBI double and came around to score on a wild pitch. Gagnon ripped a single with the bases loaded that plated two more runs for the Lasers, before Beckerman added an insurance run in the sixth with an RBI single to take a 5-0 lead over the Falcons.

Petr threw a complete game shut out on three hits and punching out four Falcons on the day, while Junior Jon Criscio allowed six runs (five earned) on ten hits over five innings. Albertus junior relief pitcher Tom Moore (East Haven, Conn.) finished the final two innings without allowing run.

The Lasers will look to improve their non-conference record as they host Eastern Nazarene on Tuesday night at Stein Diamond at 7:00 p.m.