Lasers Left Behind in 1st Round of GNAC Tournament

Newton, Mass- Rivier College, at seventh in the GNAC standings, beat the no. 6 Lasell College Lasers 8-1 on Taylor Field Thursday afternoon and moved onto the GNAC tournament quarter finals.

Rivier went ahead in the first after Brenna Campbell (Nashua, NH) got a base hit through the right side then scored as Jess Barth (Uxbridge, Mass.) hit a RBI-double into the center field gap.  Jenna Beadle (Rumney, NH) then sent Barth home with a single up the middle to earn the RBI.  Jess Mellen (Rockland, Mass.) got on with two outs, but Talia DeChairia (Kingston, Mass.) made the defensive play in the field to get the third out at first leaving two on.

Kelly Barden (Quincy, Mass.) got things started with two outs in the first for Lasell.  She smacked a hard hit to a right center field hole, but the Lasers ended the inning without a run.

Barth hit a line drive through the middle to get on base in the third.  Kirsten Mammola (North Reading, Mass.) struck out the second batter to get Lasell's first out, but Mellen got her bat on an RBI single line drive through to center field to up the score to 3-0.

With bases loaded and one out, Heather Rose (West Roxbury, Mass.) made a smart fielding decision sending the ball to Kelly Silvia (Oaks Bluff, Mass.) behind the plate to get the Rivier runner out at home.  The Lasers third out was a fly out to DeChairia at third.

Rivier had a 1-2-3 half inning to end the bottom of the third.

Monica White (Augusta, ME) doubled through the bags, then advanced on a passed ball to enter scoring position in the following inning.  White scored to get the fourth Raider run.

Barden started off the second half of the fourth with her second hit to center field on the first pitch out.  Jackie Saluti (Braintree, Mass.) and Ashley Laramie (Lynn, Mass.) followed suit with a knock to left center and a grounder past the Rivier shortstop, loading the bases.

DeChairia's fielders choice was cut off at home as Amanda Ryan (W. Bridgewater, Mass.) sent the first base grounder home to Beadle getting the out.  White struck out her final two batters to end the inning.

Lasell made three quick outs in the fifth, including another strike out by Mammola.  Michelle Torres (Waltham, Mass.) then got a hit in the fifth but the Lasers stayed scoreless.

A two run homer in the sixth by Campbell over the right field fence left Lasell in a 6 run deficit, and Rivier scored twice more in the seventh.

Lasell's senior center fielder Tiffany Perla (Westminster, Mass.) scored in the bottom of the seventh to give Lasell their first run.  After walking to get on base, Perla was brought in on a sac fly by Torres.  The Raiders sealed the game with their third out and advances on to the quarterfinals after their 8-1 win.

Campbell's two hit, two run, three RBI game led Rivier to victory. Barth, Beadle, and Mellen each had two hits apiece as well. White struck out seven en route to the victory.

The Raiders are now 18-14, while the Lasers finish their 2009 season at 21-19. Rivier will travel to St. Joseph's Me. on Friday, April 24^th to play Suffolk in the next round of the double-elimination tournament.