Falcons Take Two From Lasell, 7-4 and 11-2 in GNAC Softball Action

Newton, Mass. (4/15/15) – The Lasell College softball team were swept in a pair of Great Northeast Athletic Conference contests by the Falcons of Albertus Magnus College. The Lasers slip to 8-23 overall and 5-14 in league play, while AMC improve to 17-10 on the year and 11-4 in GNAC games.

Game One Albertus Magnus 7 – Lasell 4

Junior Emily DeAngelis (Shelton, Conn.) powered the Lasell attack in the opening game, finishing 3-for-4 at the plate with a home run, a pair of singles, one run scored and two driven in. Junior Nicole LeBlanc (Easton, Mass.) added a home run in three at-bats and junior Erin Larghi (Wakefield, R.I.) tripled and singled for Lasell while scoring twice. Sophomore Emily Noll (Weymouth, Mass.) and sophomore Erin Smith (Gorham, Maine) each chipped in with two singles in the contest. Junior Eileen Bergin (Arlington, Mass.) took the loss for Lasell, hurling all seven innings and allowing seven runs, three earned on 11 hits and striking out four.

Freshmen Kristen McGinty (East Lyme, Conn.) came up big for the Falcons, ripping a two-run pinch hit double in the top of the seventh, scoring the game-tying and eventually game winning runs. Freshmen Melissa Castillo (Taftville, Conn.) helped lead the way for Albertus Magnus with a single, double and home run in four at-bats, scoring a run and driving in two. Sophomore Brianna Spadacenta (East Haven, Conn.) added a single and double for the Falcons with a run scored, and freshmen Gilliam Fortier (Naugatuck, Conn.) singled twice and scored a run. Freshmen Megan Ferraro (Branford, Conn.) pitched four scoreless innings of relief for AMC, scattering four hits and fanning three to collect the victory after sophomore Shyleen Ortiz (New Britain, Conn.) was touched for four runs and nine hits in three innings of work as the starter.

Lasell got on the board in the bottom of the first when Erin Larghi singled to lead things off and then came in to score on DeAngelis's two-run homerun to left centerfield. Albertus drew even in the top of the third inning when Spacenda led off with a double, coming in to score when sophomore Megan Kelly (Bronx, N.Y.) reached on an error and Kelly eventually came in to score on an RBI groundout knotting the score at 2-2.

Lasell came right back with a pair of runs in the home half of the third inning when Larghi tripled to open the inning, scoring on an RBI single by senior Denise Archetto (Cranston, R.I.). A solo homerun by LeBlanc made it 4-2, heading to the top of the fourth inning.

Neither team was able to get much going offensively until Albertus cut the Lasers lead to 4-3 on a solo shot to centerfield off the bat of Melissa Castillo. The Lasers threatened to mount a two-out rally in the bottom of the sixth behind consecutive singles by freshmen Ashley Gatchell (Franklin, Mass.) and Erin Smith, but were unable to push any insurance runs across.

The Falcons put runners on the corners to open the seventh inning, courtesy of singles by junior Alyssa Puccilli (Milford, Conn.) and Spadacenta. Bergin retired the next hitter for AMC, but McGinty pinch-hit and her double to right field scored both baserunners and made it a 5-4 Falcons lead. Albertus added two more runs to take a 7-4 lead, and then Ferraro closed out the game in the bottom of the seventh to give the visitors the victory.

Game Two – Albertus Magnus 11 – Lasell 2

Sophomore Krystel Enko (Haydenville, Mass.) drove in the only two runs for the Lasers, going 1-for-2 with a double. Enko took the loss in the circle for Lasell, allowing seven hits and five walks in three and a third innings of work, yielding 10 runs, only two of which were earned. Freshmen Magdalen Trainor (Worcester, Mass.) closed out the game for Lasell scattering five hits while allowing one unearned run in an inning and two-thirds.

Senior Carli Mastrisian (Milford, Conn.) paced the Falcons in the second game, finishing 3-for-4 at the plate with three singles, four runs batted in and two runs scored. Gillilam Fortier chipped in with a 2-for-2 effort with a walk and three runs scored, and Melissa Castillo finished 1-for-3 with a double and three runs driven in. Freshmen Samantha Maselli (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) went all five innings for AMC, allowing two runs, none earned, on five hits and striking out three to pick up the victory.

Albertus jumped on the Lasers early in the second contest, getting three runs in the first inning and two more in the second before taking a 11-0 lead on the back of a six run fourth inning. The Lasers attempted to rally in the bottom half of the fifth inning, opening the inning with singles by Noll and freshmen Andrea Kane (Burlington, Mass.) and a double by Krystel Enko, but Maselli closed the door by retiring the next three batters to help the visitors to an 11-2 victory.

Albertus Magnus will visit GNAC foe Emmanuel College on Thursday April 16^th for a 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. doubleheader, while Lasell will play a makeup game against the University of Saint Joseph's of Connecticut on Friday April 17^th at 4:00 p.m.