Strong Pitching Sends Baseball to GNAC Sweep over JWU

WALTHAM, Mass. (4/15/17) -- The Lasell College baseball team posted its second Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader sweep of the season Saturday at Stein Diamond, earning 7-6 and 7-3 victories over the Wildcats of Johnson & Wales University. The twinbill was held in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness.

Lasell sophomore Daniel Petr (East Haven, Conn.) and senior Matt Haskell (Wallingford, Conn.) earned victories on the mound, while junior first baseman Dom Mascolo (Waterbury, Conn.) went 4-for-6 with a double, a home run, three RBI, and two runs scored on the day.

The Lasers improve to 8-11 overall and 4-2 in GNAC play with the victories, while the Wildcats slip to 13-12 and 4-4 in league games.

Game 1: Lasell 7, Johnson & Wales 6

In the opener, the Lasers recorded six of their seven runs and half of their eight-hit offensive output in the fourth inning, but earned a one-run victory after the visitors sent 11 batters to the plate in the top of the seventh. Senior Hector Coscione (Newton, Mass.) earned the final two outs for Lasell, recording a strikeout to strand the bases loaded and end the game.

Junior catcher Edison Mercado (Providence, R.I.) hit a two-out double in the first inning to put the Wildcats ahead, but two straight hits and a sacrifice fly off of graduate right fielder Skylar Beckerman's (Pensacola, Fla.) bat in the bottom half allowed the Lasers to even the score.

After Coscione ― who started at shortstop ― led off Lasell's at-bats with a single and advanced two bases on senior left fielder Brandon Valentin's (Meriden, Conn.) hard liner to first base, Beckerman drove in the game-tying run with a drive to center field.

The teams traded scoreless innings in the second and third, before the Lasers exploded for a six-run fourth while sending ten batters to the plate.

Mascolo opened the inning with his third home run of the season to deep left field, while five consecutive batters reached base with one out. Coscione hit a two-run single to left, advanced on an error and a sac bunt before scoring on Valentin's sac fly, then Beckerman rounded out the four-hit frame with a single to center.

Petr earned his second victory of the season as he allowed two earned runs on five hits, while walking two and striking out five, but the Wildcats staged a late comeback of their own with five runs on four hits and two errors in the seventh.

After sophomores Justin Webb (San Diego, Calif.) and David Marsell (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) were charged with three of JWU's runs in the last frame, Coscione took the mound and earned his first save of the season, inducing a fly ball and then ending the game with strikeout with the bases loaded.

Mercado was one of three Wildcats to post a two-hit game, while he and senior shortstop Lou Umberto (Cranston, R.I.) drove in two runs apiece. Junior Keith Grant (East Providence, R.I.) was dealt the loss after allowing five earned runs on five hits in 3.1 innings.

Game 2: Lasell 7, Johnson & Wales 3

The Lasers' big inning in the nightcap was the first as they hit through the order, scoring four runs on four hits to build a 4-0 lead for senior Matt Haskell (Wallingford, Conn.). Five straight batters reached to begin the ballgame as Coscione singled through the left side, stole second and scored on a Valentin single to left.

After Beckerman also singled to left, sophomore third baseman Andre Marchesseault (Cheshire, Conn.) provided the biggest blow of the inning against JWU senior starter Lane Compton (Freeland, Mich.) with a two-run single to left.

Compton took the loss for JWU as he allowed five runs on nine hits and three walks in 4.1 innings. He is now 3-3 on the season.

On Lasell's side of things, Haskell did not allow a run until the fifth or more than one hit in any inning until the seventh as he scattered seven hits and struck out six for his first win and second complete game of the season. He also benefitted from double play balls in the second and fourth innings, including one in the former that stranded two after JWU had runners reach on an error, freshman third baseman Joe Maracic's (Syosset, N.Y.) double, and a walk.

Lasell added to its lead in the third as sophomore designated hitter Brett Sherron (Howard Beach, N.Y.) singled to right, scoring Marsell. JWU got on the board on senior second baseman Ivan Reyes' (Cranston, R.I.) home run to left in the fifth, but the Lasers scored twice in the bottom of sixth for insurance as Mascolo ripped a double to left, bringing both Coscione and Valentin home.

The Lasers return home on Monday, April 17 at 4:00 p.m. for a GNAC doubleheader against Rivier University, while the Wildcats open a stretch of three consecutive non-conference games at Salve Regina on Tuesday, April 18 at 3:30 p.m.