Wisconsin Stout Edges Baseball 9-6

FORT MYERS, Fla. (3/15/17) -- The Lasell College baseball team notched 12 hits on Wednesday afternoon but was doomed by five errors in a 9-6 loss to the University of Wisconsin-Stout at the Lee County Player Development Complex.

The Lasers slip to 2-3 on the season and 0-2 at the seven-game Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic, while the Blue Devils snap a five-game losing streak and improve to 3-7.

Contrary to Tuesday's contest against Old Westbury, the Lasers played from behind as they faced a 7-2 deficit after two innings. Senior starter Casey Johnson (Windsor, Conn.) fell to 1-2, despite allowing just one run after the second in his six-inning outing and striking out six.

The Lasers held a 12-10 hitting advantage in the contest, with sophomore designated hitter Brett Sherron (Howard Beach, N.Y.) and senior left fielder Brandon Valentin (Meriden, Conn.) each going 3-for-5 with a run scored. Valentin drove in two runs, lacing RBI singles in the third and seventh innings.

Lasell strung together three straight singles with one out in the second, moving within a 3-2 score as senior catcher Matt Haskell (Wallingford, Conn.) drew a bases-loaded walk and sophomore center fielder Evan Michalek (Berlin, Conn.) placed a sacrifice bunt to third base. UW-Stout scored four times in its half of the second, and single runs in the fifth and eighth.

The Lasers clawed their way back with a two-run third. First, junior first baseman Dom Mascolo (Waterbury, Conn.) brought right fielder Skylar Beckerman (Pensacola, Fla.) around from first base with a double to center field. After Sherron singled through the left side, Valentin put one through the right side to score Mascolo.

Sophomore third baseman Andre Marchesseault (Cheshire, Conn.) opened a two-run seventh inning with a double to left and scored on Valentin's one-out single to right. After Haskell walked, Valentin took third on a passed ball and scored on another to bring Lasell within three.

That was as close as the Lasers would get as UW-Stout junior Wyatt Ernstmeyer (Reedsburg, Wisc.) struck out three of the four batters he faced in the ninth inning. Senior Tyler Christenson (Oconomowoc, Wisc.) allowed 12 hits and five earned runs over 6.1 innings, but struck out eight to earn the victory.

Lasell returns to the field bright and early on Thursday, March 16, facing Wisconsin Lutheran College in a 9:00 a.m. doubleheader at Terry Park. Stout is next in action on Friday, March 17 at the Player Development Complex, where it will face Western Connecticut State at 9:00 a.m. and North Park University at noon.