LeBlanc Blasts Softball Past AMCATS in GNAC Doubleheader

NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. (4/14/16) – The Lasell softball team took their first two Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) wins against Anna Maria College Wednesday evening at the New England Baseball Complex. Lasell improves their overall record to 5-11 and 2-4 in the GNAC, while Anna Maria dips to 2-19 this season and remains winless in conference play at 0-8.

Game One – Lasell: 9 Anna Mara: 4

Senior Nicole LeBlanc (Easton, Mas.) dominated the plate with a 3-for-4 performance, highlighted by her first of two home runs on the evening, and three additional runs scored.  LeBlanc also hit into two RBI's, joining junior Erin Smith (Gorham, Maine), who batted a perfect 3-for-3.

Sophomore Jacqueline Lapierre (Worcester, Mass.) led the offense for the AMCATS with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate, with a pair of RBI's and a run scored.  Freshmen Sabrina Carreira (West Hartford, Conn.) and Elizabeth Haggerty (Charlton, Mass.) also recorded a single ribbie in the deficit.

The Lasers were first to get on the scoreboard, as LeBlanc worked her way to third via a ground rule double and a wild pitch. Smith batted second in the lineup and reached third with a walk before cruising over to second to join LeBlanc in scoring position. Senior Emily DeAngelis (Shelton, Conn.) did her job at the plate with a sacrifice fly to center, to bring home LeBlanc, before Smith scored in the Lasers' next at bat via an AMCAT fielding error.

Anna Maria tacked on three runs in the bottom of the third, as Haggerty singled up the middle to drive in classmate Ally Hamelin (Greenfield, Mass.). With runners on second and two out, Lapierre hit a deep single up the middle for Anna Maria's go-ahead run 3-2. 

The Lasers concluded the game with seven combined runs in the fifth and sixth inning, holding the AMCATS to just a single run in the sixth. Sophomore Ashley Gatchell (Franklin, Mass.) was the deciding factor in the fifth, as a deep triple scored crossed in the tying run before LeBlanc's two-run homer put the Lasers ahead of the AMCATS for the remainder of the contest.

Senior Eileen Bergin (Arlington, Mass.) pitched a complete game for the win, retiring seven batters with just one walk. Hamelin suffered the loss on the hill for Anna Maria in 5.1 innings pitched with eight earned runs and 11 hits.

Game Two – Lasell: 14 Anna Maria: 9

LeBlanc continued her hot hitting with another homer in game two on a 4-for-5 outing, swinging into a double, two RBI's, and three runs. Smith, DeAngelis, LeBlanc and senior Erin Larghi (Wakefield, R.I.) and sophomore Laura MacLeod (Old Saybrook, Conn.) hit into two ribbies on the night, contributing to the Lasers' 14 hit outing.

Lapierre hit into a double and a triple in game two with two RBI's. Freshman Victoria Falco (Malborough, Mass.) followed with a double and triple of her own, while junior Marissa Pingeton (Worcester, Mass.) batted in three runs for the AMCATS.

Anna Maria held an 8-6 lead on the Lasers heading into the fifth inning, where the Lasell bats unloaded for an eight-run side. Junior Mackenzie Madden (Mashpee, Mass.) laid down a bunt to juice the bases with no outs to ignite the jam-packed inning, before Gatchell reached on an error to bat in sophomore Mickayla Cobb (Middleboro, Mass.). The bases stayed full until two final pop-outs concluding the eight-run, five-hit inning for the 14-9 final.

Freshman Lydia Lewis-Hicks (Seekonk, Mass.) tossed 1.1 innings for the win, while Bergin earned her first save of the year.  Senior pitcher Angela Vousboukis (Swampscott, Mass.) suffered the loss in a full game pitched with 14 earned runs.

The Lasers return to GNAC action on Friday, April 15 for a home tilt against Simmons College starting at 3:00 p.m.