NEWTON, MA- The Lasers struggled to produce hits in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference doubleheader with the Simmons College Sharks which resulted in two losses, 6-2 and 3-1, on Tuesday afternoon at Taylor Field.
In game one, the Sharks converted 11 hits into six runs, while the Lasers ripped only three knocks in the contest. Simmons scored one run in the second and one in the third before finishing the game with two runs in the fifth and two insurance runs in the seventh. Lasell’s scored both their runs in the fifth inning in a two-hit, one-error frame.
Lasell’s Kerrie Starkey (Keene, NH) went two-for-two at the plate, bringing in both the Lasers runs. Jacqueline Saluti (Braintree, MA) went 1-3 as well as scored one run, and Tricia Culver (Northampton, MA) scored the other. Saluti and Ashley Laramie (Lynn, MA) each made seven outs in the Lasers’ field.
Junior pitcher Kirsten Mammola (North Reading, MA) let up three earned runs while fanning seven Shark batters in seven innings. For Simmons, junior Courtney Collier (Bolton, MA) retired five Lasers at the plate and surrendered one earned run for the victory.
Simmons had two hits apiece from Annie Thompson (Pacific Palisades, CA), Emily Colligan (Leominster, MA), and Leah Derderian (Boylston, MA). Thompson had one homerun, one double and added three RBI’s and Derderian recorded one double, one run, and one RBI.
Lasell took the lead in game two during the bottom of the fourth inning when Laramie tripled to right field and then was brought home by Saluti. Simmons answered with three runs in the sixth inning to take over the lead. Collier reached on an error and was brought home after a Thompson double and a Derderian single. Katelyn Bourgeois (North Smithfield, RI) scored after a base hit by Ashley Wheeler (Nashua, NH) and Thompson scored on a fielder’s choice.
Culver had two hits in the second game for Lasell and Talia DeChiara (Kingston, MA), Nikki Giatas (Billerica, MA), Laramie, and Mammola each tallied one hit in the contest.
Thompson went three-for-three in game two with one run.
Alison Saluti (Braintree, MA) was hit with the loss in seven innings on the mound for Lasell. Saluti relinquished two earned runs on six hits while striking out three batters. Sami Hodgkins (Putney, VT) gained the win for Simmons, striking out two in five and a third innings.
Simmons is now 16-4 overall and 11-2 in GNAC play. Lasell holds a 9-14-1 overall slate while evening out to 5-5 in conference action.
The Lasers will hit the road on Thursday, April 8th to play at non-conference regional opponents Lesley University at 3:30 p.m.