Cape Coral, FL - The Lasell College softball team opened up the 2011 campaign with two losses at the Gene Cusic Classic in Fort Myers, Florida on Sunday. The Lasers dropped the first contest of the morning to Worcester State University, 8-1, and then faltered, 10-9, against Franklin & Marshall in the afternoon game.
Worcester came out with a 2-0 advantage in the first, then fastened four more runs in the 6th inning. In the second half of the 6th, Lasell scored their only run.
Amy Doyle (Kingston, MA) started the inning off by taking a walk on balls and Kelly Silvia (Oak Bluffs, MA) and Rachelle Haas (Middleton, MA) accompanied her to base with singles. Haas' hit sent Doyle home, recording the Lasers single score.
The Lancers completed their scoring in the 7th, adding insurance to their lead with two more runs.
In addition to Haas, Doyle, and Silvia's hits, freshman Courtney Moen (Brookfield, MA) also picked up a hit when she pinch hit in the 7th.
In the nightcap, Lasell scored four runs in the top of the first inning to take an early lead. Franklin & Marshall found an answer for just two of those run, in the second half of the frame. The score remained unchanged through the bottom of the fourth when Franklin & Marshall knocked in three more runners to take a 5-4 lead.
A scoreless fifth inning followed before Lasell recovered control of the scoreboard in the sixth.
Santina Antoshak (Closter, NJ) and Moen each rounded home plate in the top of the 6th frame after a single and a walk in respective order. Candace Hankard (Wakefield, MA) batted in both of those runs for Lasell. The Diplomats completed their scoring in the latter half of the frame, tagging home plate five more times.
In their last ups, Lasell finished just one run shy of tying the game up and Franklin & Marshall secured the win.
Four of the Lasers ten hits were doubles, knocked by Haas, Hankard, Silvia, and Talia DeChiara (Kingston, MA). Haas and Jacqui Saluti (Braintree, MA) each went 2-for-4 at the plate with one RBI and DeChiara added two hits and two RBI. Hankard also produced two RBI with one hit and one run.
Kristen Mammola (North Reading, MA) was hit with the loss on the mound, striking out five in six innings of work.