Lasell Splits Doubleheader with Pine Manor

Chestnut Hill, Mass.—Pine Manor senior Tara Doehler (Lakeville, MA) surrendered only two runs in a complete game effort to lead Pine Manor College to a game one win as part of a doubleheader with visiting Lasell College on Saturday afternoon at Pine Manor Field in Chestnut Hill, MA. In game two, Lasell rebounded to take 5-1 lead after three innings and held on to earn the split with a 7-5 victory over the Gators.

Lasell got on the board in the first inning of both games. In game one, the Lasers opened the scoring by pushing across one run as freshmen Denise Archetto (Cranston, RI) doubled to score junior Rachelle Haas from second base. The Gators then went quietly in the bottom half of the inning, as Lasell held the 1-0 lead until the second inning.

In the second, Pine Manor sophomore Macayla Kirylo (Pawtucket, RI) led off the inning with a walk. Junior Kaylyn Delgado (Worcester, MA) then singled for the Gators, putting two runners on with no one out. PMC sophomore Ashley Carusone (Nashua, NH) then hit into a fielder's choice that knocked down Kirylo at third and left the Gators with runners remaining at first and second, this time with one out. Junior Tia Nelson then grounded a ball back to Lasell pitcher Cassie Wadden (Brookfiled, MA) but an errant throw to third, once again attempting to cut down the lead runner, allowed Delgado to score from second and tie the game at 1-1.

Lasell would get the run back in the fourth inning when junior Candice Hankard (Wakefield, MA) led off the inning with a solo home run, her first of the season, to give the Lasers a 2-1 advantage. However, the lead was short lived for the visitors as Pine Manor immediately responded in the home half of the inning.

Trailing 2-1, Kirylo and Delgado put together back-to-back singles to open the inning.  A strikeout by Carusone then brought junior Tia Nelson (Rockport, MA) to the plate with the opportunity to bring the Gators back into the game. Nelson then doubled  to drive home Kirylo and tie the score at 2-2. With runners on second and third, sophomore Christine Lowe (Elmhurst, NY) then singled to shallow right field, driving home Delgado, advancing Nelson to third base, while giving the Gators the 3-2 advantage.

From that point forward Doehler worked her way out of trouble in the final three innings, stranding four Lasell base runners over the final three frames, and earning her first victory of the season.

In game two, Pine Manor starter Tia Nelson (Rockport, MA) got off to a rocky start, surrendering five runs over the first two and third innings of the game before being relieved by Doehler in the third inning.

Lasell built a 5-1 lead in the early going of game two thanks to a first inning two-run home run by Archetto and the second home run of the day by Hankard, this time a three-run shot, in the third inning. An RBI double by Carusone in the bottom of the first inning helped Pine Manor to stay within reach as the teams moved to the bottom of the third with Pine Manor trailing 5-1.

In the home half of the third inning, an RBI double by senior Kayla Provost (Saco, ME) scored Carusone to cut the deficit to 5-2. Kirylo then singled for the Gators to drive home Provost and make the score 5-3 as the game moved to the fourth inning.

In the top of the fourth, Lasell battled back to once again take a four run lead. Back-to-back singles by the Lasers opened the inning before Hankard once again came through for the Lasers, delivering a one-out two-RBI single to put the visitors ahead by a 7-3 margin.

In the fifth inning, PMC freshmen Samira Lopes (Boston, MA) delivered a pinch hit single before advancing to second on a wild pitch. Following a strike out by Doehler and a fly out to right field by Carusone, Provost doubled once again, this time driving home Lopes. With a wild pitch advancing Provost to third, Kirylo then delivered an RBI single to cut the deficit to 7-5

Pine Manor would get no closer than 7-5, as the Gators went down in order in the final two innings and Lasell captured its first victory of the 2012 season – just as Pine Manor had in game one.

The Gators will now travel to Standish, ME to take on Saint Joseph's College of Maine on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Meanwhile Lasell returns home for a Sunday matinee versus local and GNAC rival Simmons College.