Softball Drops Two to Suffolk in GNAC Doubleheader

EAST BOSTON, Mass. – Lasell College dropped a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) twinbill to Suffolk University on Saturday afternoon. Suffolk took game one 7-2 behind a 15-hit attack before holding on for a come from behind 7-6 victory in game two.

Game One: Suffolk 7 Lasell 2

Seven players finished game one with multiple hits as Suffolk defeated Lasell 7-2 in the opener. Senior Sarah Chasse (Salem, Mass.) pitched a complete game four hitter as she struck out nine hitters in the victory.

Junior Emily DeAngelis (Shelton, Conn.) belted a two run home run in the top half of the first inning to put the Lasers up 2-0 quickly. Junior Erin Larghi (Wakefield, R.I.) led the game off with a base hit and would come around to score on DeAngelis' third home run of the season. With two outs in the inning, DeAngelis would hit a long fly ball to left field that would roll out the way out to the wall for the quick 2-0 lead.

Suffolk would answer in their following at bat as sophomore Kristen Young (Windsor, Conn.) singled with one out. Young would then steal second base before coming around to score on a base hit by freshman Madison Eucalitto (Old Saybrook, Conn.). Chasse would help out her own cause later in the inning as she singled home Eucalitto to even the game.

Chasse would hold off the Lasers offense over the next six innings as she allowed just two hits in the remainder of the contest. 

Suffolk would tack on two more runs in the bottom of the third inning when senior Nicole Rosa (Wallingford, Conn.) tripled home Eucalitto, who led the inning off with a base on balls. Rosa would come around to score following a sacrifice fly by freshman Delaney Sylvester (Worcester, Mass.). 

In the fifth, freshman Devlin Frost (Tewksbury, Mass.) and junior Meredith Ball (Nahant, Mass.) added RBI singles to help add some insurance. Suffolk would tack on another run in the sixth inning when Chasse added a sacrifice fly to plate freshman pinch runner Paige Kawai (Aiea, Hawaii).

Game Two: Suffolk 7 Lasell 6

Lasell once against staked themselves to a 2-0 lead in the first inning as junior Nicole LeBlanc (Easton, Mass.) doubled home the first two runs of the ball game. Larghi once again got things going as she doubled to lead the game off before a walk to senior Denise Archetto (Cranston, R.I) put two runners on with nobody out. LeBlanc's shot to center would give the Lasers another two run edge in their first at bat.

Lasell would tack on another pair in the top of the fourth inning. Sophomore Erin Smith (Gorham, Me.) would score on a passed ball as she singled with one out to get the offense going in the frame. Freshman Mickayla Cobb (Middleboro, Mass.) would later drive in sophomore Mackenzie Madden (Mashpee, Mass.) with an RBI single to put the Lasers up 4-0.

Suffolk would come back in the home half of the fourth inning as they scored four times to even things up. Back to back doubles by Devlin Frost and freshman Allison Loftus (Oak Park, Ill.) would chop down the Lasell lead to 4-3. Frost would bring home two runs scoring freshman Ali Yamakaitis (Avenel, N.J.) and Paige Kawai before Loftus' doubled brought her in. Ball would then even the game at four when dropped a single into center scoring Loftus to make it a 4-4 game through four innings of play.

LeBlanc would lead the fifth off for Lasell with a double and then come around the score in the ensuing at bat as DeAngelis added her third RBI of the day with a base hit.

Suffolk would tack on three more runs however in their next at bat. Yamakaitis would even the game with a base hit, before Loftus once again drove in two runners with her second double in as many at bats to push Suffolk out to the 7-5 lead.

Freshman Kathleen Slavin (Rocky Hill, Conn.) would earn the win in relief throwing the final three innings on the mound.

Lasell made things interesting in the seventh as LeBlanc drew a lead off walk and would come around to score on a base hit by Smith. Smith would advance to second on the throw, allowing the tying run into scoring position with two outs, however Slavin record the final out of the game on a strikeout, her third of the day to preserve the victory.

LeBlanc finished game two 3-for-3 with a pair of runs scored and two RBI for the Lasers. Smith also collected three hits in three at-bats adding a run scored and an RBI as well.

The doubleheader setback drops Lasell to a 5-11 mark on the season and 2-4 record in conference play.

They will be back in action on Monday as they travel to St. Joseph's College (Me.) for a GNAC doubleheader with the Monks beginning at 3:00pm.

Suffolk moves to a 13-5 mark on the season as they have only dropped one of their last 14 contests. They now hold a 9-1 record in GNAC play on the year.

They'll be back in action on Monday when they take on Salem State University in non-league action beginning at 4:00pm.

Recap Courtesy of Suffolk University Sports Information