BB: Lasell sweeps Newbury in season-opening twin bill

NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. – Senior Brett Sherron (Howard Beach, N.Y.) had four hits, including three doubles and three runs batted in, as the Lasell College baseball team swept its season-opening doubleheader against Newbury College Sunday afternoon, 9-2 and 11-1, in non-conference action at the New England Baseball Complex.

Sherron had a single, a double and three RBIs in the opener, and added a pair of doubles in three trips to the plate in the nightcap. Four other Lasers had three hits apiece in the doubleheader – senior Chris Maringo (Farmingville, N.Y.), sophomores Harrison Silva (Lowell, Mass.) and Wyatt Sihvonen (Lebanon, Conn.) and freshman Matt Motyka (Vernon, Conn.) – with Silva cracking Lasell's first home run of the season in the nightcap.

Junior Zach Handzel (Palmer, Mass.) and senior David Marsell (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) earned the victories on the mound for the Lasers, Handzel working five shutout innings in the opener, allowing just three hits, and Marsell going four innings in the nightcap, surrendering just one run on two hits.

The twin bill was a warm-up to the Lasers' 10-game spring break trip to Fort Myers, Florida, which begins next week. The first two games are next Sunday, March 10, against Wisconsin Lutheran College in the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic.

Game 1 – Lasell 9, Newbury 2

After three scoreless innings for both teams, Lasell put up three runs in the fourth and fifth innings before adding two in the sixth and one in the seventh. The Lasers finished with nine runs on 10 hits.

Sherron, Silva and senior Rob Cutone (Tewksbury, Mass.) each had three hits in the win, with Sherron and Cutone each hitting a double. Sherron drove in three runs, and Silva, Cutone, Motyka and sophomore Mario Kiaunis (West Haven, Conn.) each knocked in one.

Handzel struck out three in his five-inning stint to earn the victory. Senior Dan Petr (East Haven, Conn.) came on in the sixth inning and allowed three hits and one earned run in two innings, fanning four.

Game 1 – Lasell 11, Newbury 1

Lasell scored its first run in the second inning, and put the game out of reach with eight runs in the third inning and two more in the fourth. The Lasers scored 11 runs on 13 hits in the game, including five for extra bases.

Sihvonen had three hits for the Lasers, including a double, while Sherron had two doubles and Maringo also had two hits, including a double. Senior Evan Michalek (Berlin, Conn.) had two hits and drove in three runs, Motyka had two singles and drove in a pair, sophomore Sean Doris (Lincoln, R.I.) went 1-for-1 with a walk and two RBI.

Silva had the big blast in the eight-run third inning with a two-run homer to left field, his first career home run. Michalek and Doris also cracked two-run singles in the inning, and Motyka added a two-run single in the fourth.

After Marsell pitched the first four innings to earn the victory, junior Chris O'Connor (Duxbury, Mass.), Michalek and senior Justin Webb (San Diego, Calif.) each pitched one inning of relief without allowing a hit, combining for four strikeouts.

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