Clermont, Fla. (3/13/16) – The Lasell College softball team opened up its 2016 season with a pair of losses to Smith College, 12-3, in five innings and  MCLA, 5-2, at the Legends Way Complex in Clermont, Fla.   

Smith College 12, Lasell 3– 5 innings

Senior catcher Nicole LeBlanc (Easton, Mass.) batted 1-for-2, with a walk and a double, a RBI, and a run, while sophomore first baseman Laura Macleod (Old Saybrook, Conn.) also went 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI for the Lasers.  Senior pitcher Eileen Bergin (Arlington, Mass.) had the start and pitched 3 and 2/3 innings for the Lasers, giving up five earned runs with two strikeouts.  

Lasell jumped on the scoreboard in its season-opener in the top of the first with three consecutive one-out hits. After a leadoff walk and popup, Emily DeAngelis singled to left and Macleod doubled hard down the left-field line. Erin Larghi dropped a single behind the second-base bag to drive home DeAngelis and put the Lasers ahead 2-0.

Smith cut the deficit in half off a single in the bottom of the second and the Pioneers' pitcher Natalie Burchat kept Lasell scoreless for four-straight innings. The Pioneers broke open the game with six runs in the bottom of the fourth and the Lasers were only able to respond with one run of its own off a pair of doubles from LeBlanc and Maggie King (Sandy Creek, N.Y.). Smith continued to persist as it closed out the opener with five more runs in the bottom of the fifth.

MCLA 5, Lasell 1 – 5 innings

Senior Erin Larghi (Wakefield, R.I.) and junior Erin Smith (Gorham, Maine) both went 1-for-3 at the plate and each recorded a RBI in the loss. Junior pitcher Krystel Enko (Haydenville, Mass.) pitched 5 and 2/3 innings for the Lasers, giving up four earned runs and four walks.

MCLA scored in four out of the seven innings with nine hits spread out amongst the lineup. Pitching duo Katelyn Henault (West Warwick, R.I.) and Rachel Quackenbush (Hoosick, Falls, N.Y.) held off the Lasers to seven hits, as Henault gave up two earned runs and Quackenbush struck out six.

The Trailblazers jumped on top in the first as Chelsea Coleman (Brookfield, Conn.) was walked with the bases loaded sending Michaela DiNicola (Lanesboro, Mass.) home for its first run. The Lasers bounced back with a run of its own off of Larghi's single as LeBlanc scored. MCLA took a 4-1 advantage after scoring one run in the second and two in the fourth, holding the Lasers to two hits from Mazie Baldarelli (Fitchburg, Mass.) and Tessa Beane (Swampscott, Mass.).

In the bottom of the fifth, King scored from Smith's base hit into centerfield cutting the game to two, 4-2, but MCLA squeezed in an insurance run in the top of the seventh to give the Lasers its second loss.

Lasell will play Fairleigh Dickinson-Florham at 9:00 a.m. and North Park University at 11:00 a.m. at the Legends Way Complex in their second double-header of THE Spring Games.