Softball Earns Conference Split with Norwich

NORTHFIELD, Vt. – The Lasell College softball team split a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader with Norwich University on Thursday afternoon at the NU Softball Field. The Lasers downed the Cadets in game one, 5-4, and fell in five innings in the nightcap, 10-2.

Game One: Lasell: 5 Norwich 4

Lasell (8-24, 5-15 GNAC) rallied in the top of the sixth inning when senior Emily DeAngelis (Shelton, Conn.) laced a double down the left field line that scored two runs and pushed Lasell's lead to 3-1. The Lasers added two more runs in the inning to pull ahead 5-4 in GNAC twinbill opener.

Errors plagued Norwich (15-17, 13-7 GNAC) in the first game with the Cadets committing four errors which forced four unearned runs across the plate and led to NU's downfall. Freshman Rachel Johnson (Stockbridge, Vt.) allowed just two hits in the circle and recorded her 100^th strikeout, en route to tallying seven strikeouts in the game.

Norwich answered with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning with Jessica Hindman (Marshfield, Mass.) crushing a two-run double over the center fielder's head to plate two runs and cut the deficit to one. However, that's as close as the Cadets would get even after loading the bases in the bottom of the seventh inning with no one out. NU couldn't push the tying run across and had its three-game winning streak snapped.

Naomi Rinaldo (Middlefield, Conn.), Angie Hershberger (Felton, Calif.) and Hindman all had two hits to lead the Norwich offense. Kassy Kazimierczak (Adams, Mass.) scored two runs after reaching base twice on walks.

Senior Eileen Bergin (Arlington, Mass.) picked up the win for Lasell, going the distance, allowing nine hits and four earned runs while striking out six and walking two. With the K's, Bergin becomes the all-time strikeouts leader with 273.

Bergin improved to 4-11 on the season while Johnson dropped to 8-9 on the year for Norwich.

Game Two: Norwich 10 Lasell 2

In Game 2, Norwich's offense woke up with a big six-run inning in the bottom of the first inning to assert its dominance from the outset.

The Cadets pounded out 14 hits en route to a 10-2 mercy-rule victory over Lasell to salvage the split with the Lasers. 

Senior Nicole LeBlanc (Easton, Mass.) carried the Lasers in the deficit and recorded the lone hit while knocking in the pair or RBI's.

Taylor Morris (Haverhill, N.H.) went 3-for-3 with two runs scored to lead the Norwich offense in the nightcap. Rinaldo and Olivia Bussiere (Northfield, Vt.) also notched two hits for NU.

Hindman stayed hot with another two RBIs. Hershberger also picked up two RBIs to help lead the Cadets' offense. Freshman Emily Oliver (Sagamore Hills, Ohio) launched her third home run of the season to tie Hershberger and Kazimierczak for the team lead.

Oliver also picked up the win on the mound, surrendering just one hit and two earned runs while striking out a career-high seven batters. She improved to 5-7 on the season. Junior Krystel Enko (Haydenvillle, Mass.) suffered the loss for Lasell.

The Lasers will host Pine Manor tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. before wrapping up the 2016 season at St. Joe's of Maine on Saturday.