Genovese Blasts First Career Homer and Walks off to 9-8 Win over Becker

CLERMONT, Fla. (3/14/17) – Freshman Arianna Genovese (Rocky Hill, Conn.) cracked her first career home run, and walked off with a single to center field to lift the Lasell softball team over Becker, 9-8-, in its second doubleheader in Florida. The Lasers dropped the second contest, 7-5, against Minnesota Morris, and shift to 1-3 this season.

Lasell: 9 Becker: 8

Genovese packed the stat line in the morning victory, going 4-for-5 with five RBI's, including the game winner, a game-slam, and a run scored. Maggie King (Sandy Creek, N.Y.) knocked in three runs of her own on three hits, while Victoria Spellman (Rocky Hill, Conn.) swung into three knocks as well.

Senior Krystel Enko (Haydenville, Mass.) earned the win on the mound for the Lasers, striking out nine batters over four innings pitched. Leah Shaw (Charlestown, N.H.) took over for the final two, and allowed just one earned run.

Down 8-6 in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, senior Erin Smith (Gorham, Maine) knocked a single to left and advanced on the throw, plating Bailey Burnett (Phillipston, Mass.) at third for King. King then swung into a base knock to center, scoring Smith and Burnett on the play to knot the game, 8-8.

Spellman surpassed the pressure of a two-out out bat, and single up the middle to advance pinch runner Mazie Baldarelli (Fitchburg, Mass.) to second, where Genovese cracked the game-winning hit to center for the heroic 9-8 victory.

Lasell will play its fifth game of its Florida swing tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. versus local New England opponent UMass Boston.