Softball Falls to JWU in GNAC DH

NEWTON, Mass. (4/20/16) – The Lasell softball team dropped a pair of Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) contests to Johnson and Wales University Wednesday afternoon at Taylor Field. The Lasers sink to 6-20 overall and 3-11 in the GNAC, while the Wildcats improve to 20-7 and 8-4 in league play.

Game One - JWU: 10 Lasell: 1 (Six Innings) 

Sophomore Erin Smith (Gorham, Maine) drove in the lone run for the Lasers on a 2-for-2 performance at the plate, while senior Nicole LeBlanc (Easton, Mass.) chipped in with a double in the effort.

Senior Kristen Solari (Old Bridge, N.J.) led the charge for JWU with three hits, an RBI, and a run scored to go along with her 10^th double of the season. Emily Gorecki (Bremerton, Wash.), Tiffani Semanchik (Flemington, N.J.), Jennifer Corona (Middle Island, N.Y.) and Angelica Reyes (Arleta, Calif.) joined Solari in the ribbie column, highlighted by two from Alex Fantasia (Framingham, Mass.).

The Wildcats tacked on five runs over three innings before a single by Smith knocked in freshman Mazie Baldarelli (Fitchburg, Mass.). In the top of the sixth, Gavin worked her way to second after being hit by a pitch and stealing second before Semanchik singled down the right field line for the 6-1 bump. With runners on first and second, Corona hit a deep single to left to score K. Alexis DeMoss (Beckley, W. Va.), the pinch runner for JWU, before an RBI groundout by Reyes gave the Wildcats the eight-run gap to close out the contest.

Corona, the GNAC's pitcher of the week, tossed all 6.0 innings and scattered five hits with one earned run while fanning eight batters. Senior Eileen Bergin (Arlington, Mass.) took the loss on the hill for Lasell with six hits, four earned runs, and three walks.

Game Two – JWU: 16 Lasell: 5 (Five Innings)

LeBlanc knocked in a pair of RBI's in game two while Laura MacLeod (Old Saybrook, Conn.) recorded one RBI. Smith continued a perfect performance at the plate (2-for-2) and hit into a double while scoring two runs of her own.

The Wildcats' offense was highlighted by a two-run homer from Fantasia, the first of her career. On JWU's 16 hots, Fantasia knocked in three runs while Corona, Solari, DeMoss and Diana Amendolara (Newtown, Pa.) chipped in with two.

JWU was first to strike yet again, as Solari swung into a deep fly out to center field, scoring freshman Brenna DuPerry (Cranston, R.I.) on the play. Again with runners on first and second, Corona did her job at the plate with a blasted double to left to lift the visitors up 3-0 after the opening side.

The Lasers, however, struck back in their first at-bats, as MacLeod stepped up to the plate with LeBlanc on first and Smith on second. MacLeod's single to right plated Smith for the 3-1 bump before a final strikeout retired the Lasers.

The Wildcats tacked on three more in the second, 6-1, before LeBlanc knocked in senior Erin Larghi (Wakefield, R.I.) and freshman Maggie King (Sandy Creek, N.Y.) to pull within three. However, the Wildcats kept the three-run trend going in the third, and added seven in the fourth and fifth to take down the Lasers in five innings, 16-5.

Adding to the complete game pitching stats was Wildcat sophomore Noelle Weiss (Hartland, Wisc.), who yielded six hits, three earned runs and three walks while striking out five. Freshman Lydia Lewis-Hicks (Seekonk, Mass.) suffered the loss on 2.0 innings pitched with six runs (four earned).

The Lasers are off until Saturday, April 23 when they host Rivier University in honor of the 2016 graduating seniors with first pitched slated for 12:00 p.m. The Wildcats return to action tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. for a doubleheader vs. the Mustangs of Mount Ida.