Baseball: Lasers split with Norwich behind strong Game 1 and 10-inning battle in Game 2

Waltham, Mass. – The Lasell University Lasers baseball team split a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) matchup with the Norwich University Cadets, 2-0 and 8-5, despite strong pitching perfomances, Sunday afternoon at Stein Diamond.

Game 1: Lasell 2 Norwich 0

The Lasers scored first in the fourth inning as freshman Griffin Ferreira (Westport, Mass.) singled through the right side to bring home fellow classmate Vaun Larisa (Lincoln, R.I.). They added a second one batter later with an RBI groundout by freshman Devon Lapierre (Dover, N.H.) that brought home sophomore Matthew Paharik (West Boylston, Mass.) home from third and marked the only scoring in the game. The Lasers pitching held the Cadets scoreless to take game one 2-0.

Senior Tanner Raymond (Southbury, Conn.) got the start for the Cadets going five and two thirds' innings only allowing three hits and two runs while striking out two. Freshman Jakob Hayes (Arlington, Texas) went two for three at the plate for the Cadets in the loss.

Freshman Brendan Zaleski (Wethersfield, Conn.) got the start and win for the Lasers going six strong innings only allowing four hits and striking out five. Freshman Matthew Fletcher (Wethersfield, Conn.) got the save thowing the seventh inning and striking out two while giving up a hit. Ferreira had a hit and RBI for the Lasers and Lapierre drove in a run as well. Larisa went one for two at the plate and so did sophomore Ross Audet (Swansea, Mass.)

Game 2 Lasell 5 Norwich 8

The Cadets started the scoring in third inning as Hayes doubled to left center to bring home freshman Nolan Knight (Altona, N.Y.). They doubled their tally in the inning as junior Abel Oropeza (Whittier, Conn.) brought home Hayes with a sacrifice fly to left field.

The Lasers immediately responded in the bottom of the third inning as senior Matthew Bischof (Sleepy Hallow, N.Y.) blasted a no-doubt homerun to right field bringing home sophomore Bryan Baumann (Deerfield, Mass.) to tie the game at two.

The Cadets took the lead back in the fifth as senior Hayden Roberge (Middlesex, Vt.) walked with the bases loaded to bring home Hayes. The next batter was freshman Ryan Miller (Westhampton, N.Y.) and he also walked to bring home freshman Brock Carpenter (East Berlin, Penn.). Oropeza scored the third run of the fifth inning for the Cadets on a sacrifice fly by senior Connor McGee (Wakefield, R.I.) giving the Cadets a 5-2 lead.

Lasell answered one inning later as Baumann ripped a double into the right center field gap to bring home Audet and Lapierre making it a one run game. Paharik tied the game up at five as his single up the middle, brought home Baumann to tie the game up at five after six innings.

Both sides went scoreless in the seventh inning to force the game into extra-innings.

The Cadets took the lead in the top of the 10th inning as Carpenter hit a two RBI triple to right center scoring Hayes and sophomore Ryland Richardson (Windsor, Vt.). The Cadets added one more in the 10th as Oropeza singled to left to score Carpenter and make it an 8-5 lead after the top half of the inning.

The Lasers had one more chance in the bottom of the 10th but could not put a run across as they fell 8-5.

Sophomore Nick Beavin (Montpelier, Vt.) got the win in relief for the Cadets throwing four innings while only allowing two hits and no runs and striking out four. Freshman Ben Emero (Medway, Mass.) came in for a brief save only throwing a third of an inning. Carpenter had two RBIs and two runs scored on one hit. Oropeza also drove in two with a run scored and a hit. Hayes had an RBI and a hit along with three runs scored in the win for the Cadets. Miller, Roberge, and McGee also drove in runs for Norwich.

Baumann led the way on offense for the Lasers with two hits and two RBIs along with scoring two runs. Bischof also drove in two runs with a homerun. Paharik drove in one run on two hits and Audet had two hits and one run scored.

The Lasers will be back in action on Wednesday, April 27, when they travel to Western Connecticut State for a matchup with the Warriors. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

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