SB: Lasell drops first two games in Florida

CLERMONT, Fla. – The Lasell College softball team dropped its first two games of its Spring Break trip to the National Training Center on Monday, falling to the University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg, 11-7, and Potsdam State (N.Y.), 11-5.

Junior Victoria Spellman (Rocky Hill, Conn.) led the Lasers with four hits on the day, going 2-for-4 in each game. Sophomores Bethany Hector (Jaffrey, N.H.), Nicolette Genkos (Worcester, Mass.) and Sarah Walton (Poland, Maine) each finished with three hits in the twin bill.

The Lasers will play four more doubleheaders over the next four days, beginning Tuesday, March 12, with games against Marywood College (Pa.) at 9 a.m. and North Park University (Ill.) at 11:15 a.m.

Game 1 – Pitt.-Greensburg 11, Lasell 7

Both teams put runs on the board in the first inning, with Pitt plating three runs in the top half of the inning and Lasell answering with five runs in the bottom half. Genkos sparked the Laser rally with a two-run double to right field, followed by RBI singles by juniors Sarah Kline (Vernon, Conn.) and Nicole Arcese (Holliston, Mass.). Kline capped the inning when she scored on a wild pitch.

Pitt came back with one run in the fourth inning and took the lead for good with five runs in the fifth. Both teams scored single runs in both the sixth and seventh innings as the Bobcats held on for the win.

The Lasers finished with 11 hits, including two each from Genkos, Spellman, Hector and classmate Hannah Doherty (Hampton, N.H.). Genkos, Hector and Walton each recorded doubles at the plate.

Arcese started in the circle for the Lasers and pitched the first four innings, suffering the loss. Doherty worked two innings and Genkos finished off the seventh frame.

Game 2 – Potsdam State 11, Lasell 5

The Lasers opened the game with four runs in the top of the first inning. Spellman ripped an RBI triple down the left field line and then scored on the throw. Sophomore Alexis Truesdale (Wakefield, Mass.) also delivered a two-run double down the right field line to make it 4-0.

The lead didn't last long, as Potsdam scored two runs in the first and second innings to tie the score, and plated six runs in the third inning to open up a 10-4 lead. The Bears tacked on another run in the fifth inning, and Lasell managed just one more run on a Spellman RBI single in the sixth inning to round out the scoring. Spellman finished 2-for-3 with three RBI, and Walton also collected two hits.

Sophomore Hailey Haskins (Franklin, N.H.) started in the circle for Lasell but didn't get out of the third inning, suffering the loss (0-1). Sophomore Allie Borowsky (Dalton, Mass.) worked 2.2 innings of relief, allowing just one run on four hits, and Genkos pitched one inning of scoreless relief.

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