FORT MYERS, FL- The Lasell College softball team secured their first win of the 2010 season on Monday with a 7-6 victory over Hamilton College at the Lee County Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Florida. Earlier the same day, the Lasers dropped a heartbreaker to Polytechnic Institute of New York University, 5-4, in eight innings. The Lasers are now 1-3 this season.
Lasell opened the day going into extra innings and falling to the Fighting Blue Jays by just one run in the eighth. Kelly Barden (Quincy, MA) had two hits, including a double, and one RBI. She also made five assists in the field at third base. Michelle Torres (Waltham, MA) also had two hits and one RBI and Kerry Starkey (Keene, NH) and Tricia Culver (Northampton, MA) pitched in with one hit and one RBI a piece, with Starkey also earning a run. Talia DeChiara (Kingston, MA), Kelly Silvia (Oaks Bluff, MA), and Rachelle Haas (Middleton, MA) each scored one run for the Lasers.
Jacqueline Saluti (Braintree, MA) and Ashley Laramie (Lynn, MA) each had nine putouts in the first base and catcher positions respectively. Nicole Slader (Harrisville, RI) struck out three, allowing just two hits and one run in five innings on the mound for Lasell, and relieving pitcher Kirsten Mammola (North Reading, MA) retired four additional batters in two innings.
Lasell then edged out the Hamilton College Continentals, 7-6, in the second contest of the day. Hamilton took the lead with three runs in the fifth on singles and another two run in the top of the sixth. Lasell came back to score four runs of their own in the sixth, but a triple by Hamilton in the top of the seventh gave them a two-run advantage. A leadoff homerun by Laramie in the bottom of the seventh and another Laser base hit gave Lasell the victory.
Freshman Candace Hankard (Wakefield, MA) and Barden each had two hits and two runs in the triumph. Starkey also produced two singles and one RBI, and Haas and Culver each had one hit and RBI for the victors. In addition to her homerun, Laramie made 11 outs at first base.
Freshman pitcher Alison Saluti (Braintree, MA) struck out two batters en route to her first collegiate win against the Continentals.
The Lasers (1-3) will next face Worcester State and SUNY Oswego on Tuesday, March 16th at the Cape Coral Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Florida.