Newton, Mass. (4/14/15) – The Lasell College softball team dropped a pair of Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) games to visiting Norwich University, falling 2-0 and 4-3 on Tuesday afternoon at Taylor Field. The Lasers slipped to 8-21 overall and 5-12 in conference play, while Norwich climbed to 7-17 on the year and 5-11 in GNAC matchups.
Game One: Norwich 2 – Lasell 0
Junior Nicole LeBlanc (Easton, Mass.) and freshmen Laura MacLeod (Old Saybrook, Conn.) recorded the only two singles of the day for Lasell as each went one for three from the plate. Junior Eileen Bergin (Arlington, Mass.) took the loss for Lasell, despite pitching a strong game, going all seven innings and allowing two unearned runs on four hits while striking out four and walking none.
Norwich senior Corinne Baita (Rochester, N.H.) spun a gem in the first game, holding Lasell to no runs on two hits and one walk while striking out seven to earn her third win of the season. Baita also drove in a run while going one for three at the plate with a single. Junior Taylor Morris (Haverhill, N.H.) singled twice and drove in the Cadets first run of the game, and senior Melissa Rome (Enfield, Conn.) added a double in three at-bats and a run scored.
The two teams sped through the opening three innings with Nicole LeBlanc recording the lone Lasell hit with a two-out single in the first inning, while Taylor Morris singled with one out in the second for Norwich.
In the top of the fourth Norwich put runners on second and third with one out following a Lasell error and a double down the left field line by Melissa Rome. Taylor singled to left to plate freshmen Sarah Perry (New Bedford, Mass.) and the Cadets made it 2-0 on a single to center by Corinne Baita before Bergin induced a pop up to end the inning.
Lasell threatened in the home half of the sixth when Eileen Bergin reached on an error and junior Erin Larghi (Wakefield, R.I.) walked to put runners on first and second, however Baita struck out the next the next two Lasers to end the inning.
A one-out single by Laura MacLeod started a seventh inning rally for Lasell, but the hosts were unable to cut into the deficit, falling 2-0.
Game Two: Norwich 4 – Lasell 3
Sophomore Emily Noll (Weymouth, Mass.) paced the Lasell attack in the second game, singling twice, reaching on a walk and scoring two runs. Freshmen Mickayla Cobb (Middletown, Mass.) added two singles of her own and a run scored, while Nicole LeBlanc singled and drove in a pair. Sophomore Krystel Enko (Haydenville, Mass.) tossed four inning, taking the loss while allowing four runs on four hits and six walks while fanning four. Eileen Bergin scattered four hits in three scoreless innings of relief.
Norwich started the second game of the twin-bill loading the bases with a pair of singles and a walk but Enko battled back with a sandwiching a pair of strikeouts around a fly-out to escape the jam. Enko walked a pair in the third, but again escaped unscathed after a sliding stop by Emily Noll resulted in a force out at third and a fly out to center field ended the inning.
Lasell got on the board in the bottom half of the third when Noll reached on a leadoff walk, stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball before scoring on a sacrifice fly by LeBlanc to put Lasell in front 1-0.
Norwich answered back in the top of the fifth inning, as junior Justina George (Wallingford, Conn.) and Sarah Perry both walked, followed by an RBI double from Melissa Rome, knotting the score at 1-1. Taylor Morris walked to load the bases and Enko gave way to Bergin in the circle for Lasell with nobody out. Bergin got junior Angie Hershberger (Felton, Calif.) to pop out for the first out of the inning, but back-to-back run scoring singles from freshmen Kassy Kazimierczak (Adams, Mass.) and sophomore Sarah Peyton (Eagle River, Alaska) followed by an RBI groundout by sophomore Jordan Day (Andover, Mass.) put the visiting Cadets up 4-1 heading into the bottom half of the fifth inning.
Lasell began mounting a comeback in the home half of the sixth inning, with Emily Noll singling with two outs to spark the Lasers. Mickayla Cobb then singled and both runners moved up to second and third on a passed ball. Nicole LeBlanc plated Noll with a single to left field, and Cobb came in to score on an RBI single by junior Emily DeAngelis (Shelton, Conn.). Corinne Baita replaced Taylor Morris in the circle for Norwich, retiring Erin Larghi for the final out of the inning and ending the threat.
Lasell was unable to push across the tying run in the bottom of the seventh, falling 4-3.
Norwich will return to action on Wednesday April 15th when they take on Simmons College in GNAC play beginning at 3:00 p.m. while Lasell will square-off with Albertus Magnus College on Wednesday the 15th as well, hosting the Falcons for a double dip beginning at 3:00 p.m.