NEWTON, Mass. (3/28/14) – The Lasell College softball team swept their Great Northeast Athletic Conference doubleheader against visiting Rivier University on Friday afternoon at Taylor Field. The Lasers used a walk-off two-run homerun from freshmen Emily DeAngelis (Shelton, Mass.) to win 10-8 in 10 innings in the opening game and then defeated the Raiders 11-1 in the second game that featured a grand slam from Denise Archetto (Cranston, R.I.) and a home run robbing by DeAngelis that saw her crash through the left field fence. The Lasers improved to 9-3 overall and 2-0 in the GNAC while Rivier slipped to 6-8 on the year and 0-2 in league games.
Game One – Lasell 10 – Rivier 8
The Lasers got a double and two singles from Emily Noll (Weymouth, Mass.) who drove in a run, as well as a single and double from Eileen Bergin (Arlington, Mass.) who scored twice and Nicole LeBlanc (Easton, Mass.) who singled twice and scored a pair of runs. DeAngelis struck the decisive blow in the bottom of the 10th inning, sending a one-out offering over the left field fence. Eileen Bergin went all 10 innings for Lasell, allowing eight runs, six earned on 11 hits while striking out six to win her sixth decision of the year.
Nicole Peacock (Warwick, R.I.) had a big game at the plate for Rivier, scoring three runs and driving in four runs. Peacock had a single, double and inside-the-park homerun. Jessica Cote (Nashua, N.H.) had a single and a double for the Raiders with a run scored and Nicole Scotti (Concord, N.H.) added a pair of singles. Taylor Miller (Haverhill, Mass.) started for Rivier, allowing six runs, five earned on four hits and a pair of walks in two innings of work. Libby Sammon (Rockland, Mass.) took the loss, throwing seven and a third innings in relief, allowing four runs, two earned on eight hits while striking out six.
Rivier used three singles and a sacrifice fly to score a pair in the top of the first, but Lasell came right back with an RBI single by LeBlanc and an RBI double by Archetto to tie the game at 2-2. Rivier tallied a pair in the second inning, when Peacock's line drive to right-centerfield skipped to the fence allowing her to score for a two-run inside-the-park homerun that knocked in Allyson Nolan (Willington, Conn.) who reached earlier when she was hit by a pitch. Lasell got one-run back in the bottom of the second inning on a run-scoring groundout from Santina Antochak (Closter, N.J.) to make it 4-3 in favor of Rivier through two innings.
The Lasers scored three runs in the home half of the third inning, to go on top 6-4. Eileen Bergin reached on a hit-by-pitch, LeBlanc sincled moving her to third base where Bergin came in to score when LeBlanc stole second. Archetto walked to put runners on first and second and forced Taylor Miller from the game as she was replaced by Libby Sammon. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch before coming in to score on consecutive RBI singles from Emily Noll and Molly Pritchett (Lebanon, Maine).
Rivier responded with a pair in the top of the fourth inning when Cote led off with a double and Lia Bobek (Hollis, N.H.) reached on a one out single to put runners on the corners. Bobek stole second and both runners scored when Peacock doubled. Peacock stole third but was thrown out at home when she tried to score on a groundout off the bat of Shaylyn Freitas (Pelham, N.H.), ending the inning with the two teams tied at 6-6.
Lasell went ahead 7-6 in the bottom of the sixth inning when Courtney Moen (Brookfield, Mass.) singled eventually scoring on a wild pitch. Freitas reached on a Lasers error and moved to second on a wild pitch then went to third on a groundout. Scottin singled to plate Freitas and tie the game at 7-7, but Rivier was unable to push across a go-ahead run and when Lasell was unable to capitalize on a lead-off double by Emily Noll the two teams headed to extra innings. Neither team was able to score in the eighth, but Rivier was able to score on a foul out to right field when Peacock advanced to third and came in to score when the throw was offline. Moen scored for Lasell in the bottom of the ninth, tying the game at 8-8 and sending the game to the 10th inning.
Rivier had runners on the corners with nobody out when Kathryn Mostone (Pelham, N.H.) reached on an error that sent Nichole Seavey (Keene, N.H.) to third. Seavey was thrown out at the plate for the first out of the inning and when Bergin fanned a hitter for out number two and induced a groundout she escaped the jam without giving up the lead.
Pritchett started on second base, per the international tie-breaker rule, for Lasell and advanced to third on a Michaelea Grady (Worcester, Mass.) groundout setting the stage for DeAngelis to deliver her first career home run in walk-off fashion producing the 10-8 final score.
Game Two – Lasell 11 – Rivier 1
Denise Archetto hit her first career grand slam along with singling to tally four RBI's and two runs scored for Lasell. Santina Antoshak (Closter, N.J.) went 3 for 4 at the plate with three singles with a run scored and Molly Pritchett had a pair of singles, two runs scored and two knocked in. Krystal Enko (Haydenville, Mass.) went five innings for Lasell in the circle, scattering six hits and giving up one run to capture the victory.
Nicole Peacock and Destiny Jordan (Lawrence, Mass.) each went 1 for 3 at the plate for Rivier, with Peacock scoring the Raiders lone run and Jordan driving her in. Sammon allowed seven runs, five earned, on five hits and three walks in two thirds of an inning of work before giving way to Jordan on the slab. Jordan yielded four earned runs on six hits in three and a third innings of relief.
Rivier took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Peacock doubled to lead off coming in to score on a double by Jordan.
Lasell stormed back with seven runs in the bottom of the first inning when Antoshak opened with a single, coming around to score on a passed ball and a pair of illegal pitches. Courtney Moen walked as did Bergin and LeBlanc was hit by a pitch to load the bases for the Lasers. Archetto sent Sammon's offering over the left field fence to put Lasell in front 5-0 without an out being recorded. Lasell tacked on two more to chase Sammon and make it a 7-1 margin at the end of one inning.
Rivier threatened in the top of the second when Bobek reached on a two-out single before DeAngelis crashed through the left field fence as she robbed Peacock of a home run to preserve the Lasers 7-1 lead.
Lasell plated four more runs in the bottom of the second inning and held on for the 11-1 victory.
Lasell will host Emmanuel for a GNAC doubleheader on Saturday at 11am on Saturday March 29th while Rivier has Anna Maria coming to Nashua, N.H. for a twinbill.