Myrtle Beach, S.C. (3/18/13) – The Lasell College women's softball team lost a pair of games to Rutgers-Newark to open their 2013 spring trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Lasell fell 9-5 in the first game of the doubleheader, and then suffered a 4-0 loss in the second game. Lasell dropped to 0-2 to start the year, while Rutgers-Newark improved to 2-0.

Game 1

The Lasers fell victim to a pair of big innings by Rutgers-Newark, dropping the 9-5 contest.

Denise Archetto (Cranston, R.I.) finished with three singles on the afternoon, driving in a pair of runs, Emily DeAngelis (Shelton, Conn.) had a two-run homerun for the Lasers and Erin Larghi (Wakefield, R.I.) recorded a triple on the day, scoring a run. Alison Saluti (Braintree, Mass.) took the loss for Lasell, allowing eight runs, seven earned on eight hits in three and two-third innings of work. Sam Whynot (Randolph, Mass.) went two and a third innings in relief, allowing one run on one hit while striking out a pair.

Gabby Spinella went three for four at the dish for Rutgers-Newark, scoring twice and driving in three runs with a pair of singles and a home run. Krista Casale was a perfect three for thee with a double and two singles and Monica Liotto added a pair of singles and two runs scored. Brianna Alicchio recorded the victory for the Scarlet Raiders, hurling all seven innings and yielding five runs on nine hits to the Lasell bats.  

Lasell threatened in the top half of the first inning, loading the bases on three straight singles by Amanda Szidat (Westford, Mass.), Archetto and Michaela Grady (Worcester, Mass.), but failed to score when Szidat was thrown out at the plate on a fielder's choice and Nicole LeBlanc (Easton, Mass.) was retired on a line drive right at the shortstop.

Rutgers-Newark had a pair of runners reach with one out in the bottom half of the first, and Spinella put Rutgers-Newark on top 3-0 with her three run blast. Lasell managed to escape the rest of the inning unscathed, trailing 3-0.

Lasell answered right back in the top of the second, as Larghi opened the inning with a triple and scored on a single by Ashley Pearson. A walk by Courtney Moen (Brookfield, Mass.) and a single by Santina Antoshak (Closter, N.J.) loaded the bases for Lasell with nobody out. Ashley Pearson (Lincoln, R.I.) was thrown out at the plate on a fielder's choice for the first out of the inning, but Lasell plated two more runs on an Archetto single, tying the game at 3-3.

Lasell held the Scarlet Raiders scoreless in the bottom of the second, but failed to add any more runs in their top of the fourth.

Rutgers-Newark opened the bottom of the third with three straight singles, resulting in a pair of runs and then scored three more on a two RBI double by Casale and a sacrifice fly by Vanessa Romero, taking an 8-3 lead. 

Neither team was able to score in the fourth inning, with Lasell going down in order in the top half of the inning, and Rutgers-Newark stranding a pair in the bottom half.

Lasell opened the fifth inning with Grady reaching on a hit-by-pitch and DeAngelis powering a ball over the fence for a two-run home run, cutting the deficit to 8-5.

The Scarlet Raiders tacked on an insurance run in the bottom half of the fifth, and Lasell was unable draw any closer, falling 9-5.

Game 2

Lasell dropped the second game of the day 4-0, being held scoreless on six hits, while the Scarlet Raiders used six singles and six walks to plate four runs.

Nicole LeBlanc had a pair of singles on the day for Lasell, and Eileen Bergin (Arlington, Mass.) took the loss, allowing four runs on six hits and six walks while striking out a pair.

Liane Drastal twirled a six-hit complete game shutout, allowing six hits and striking out eight for Rutgers-Newark.

The two teams battled through a scoreless opening two innings, before Rutgers-Newark went on top 2-0 in the third, scoring a pair of runs on RBI singles by Monica Liotto and Spinella.

Lasell used back-to-back singles with one out in the bottom of the third to look to rally, but stranded a pair of runners when they grounded out twice to end the inning.

After a scoreless fourth inning, the Scarlet Raiders scored two more runs in the top of the fifth to push their lead to 4-0, and closed out the victory with Drastal limiting Lasell to a pair of singles in their final three at-bats.