NEWTON, Mass. (4/30/17) – The Lasell softball team honored its four graduating seniors in its 2017 season finale on Saturday afternoon at Taylor Field. Krystel Enko (Haydenville, Mass.), Mackenzie Madden (Mashpee, Mass.), Erin Smith (Gorham, Maine) and Laura MacLeod (Old Saybrook, Conn.) were celebrated for their noteworthy careers, and their presence at Lasell will truly be missed.
The Lasers dropped both contests to the Cadets of Norwich University, 3-2 and 9-3. The Cadets lock in the No. 6 seed for the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) postseason tournament, and will host Emmanuel College on Tuesday in the first round.
Game One - Norwich: 3 Lasell: 2
MacLeod and Arianna Genovese (Rocky Hill, Conn.), who each knocked in a run with a 1-for-3 showing at the plate, led Lasell's four-hit attack in the opening effort. Genovese swung into a double as Lasell's only extra-base hitter, her eighth of the season.
Madison Miller (Long Lake, N.Y.) batted 3-for-3 for the winning Cadets, knocking in an RBI on a double in the second inning.
The Cadets broke open the scoring in the top of the second, as Olivia Bussiere (Northfield, Vt.) cracked a one-out double, ruled out of play as it traveled under the outfield fence. Bussiere came around to score on Miller's double to left, before a fielder's choice scored Sarah Perry (New Bedford, Mass.) for the 2-0 score.
Cadets' pitcher Rachel Johnson (Stockbridge, Vt.) tossed a no-hit back half of the second, before the visitors tacked on an insurance run, as Justine George (Wallingford, Conn.) was ruled safe at home on the double steal. Lasell added a single run in the fourth and fifth innings, from a Genovese double and MacLeod single, but the push wasn't enough as relief pitcher Emily Oliver (Sagamore Hills, Ohio) retired all batters in the back half of the contest.
Enko fanned four batters while walking just one in her sixth complete game of the season, and suffered the loss on the hill for Lasell with six hits and three earned runs. Johnson needed just 3.0 innings to secure the win, pitching to a no-hit, no-run decision, while striking out two.
Game Two – Norwich: 9 Lasell: 3
The Lasers recorded six hits in the season finale, led by Spellman on a 2-for-3 performance with an RBI and a run scored, including her second double in three games. First years Nicole Arcese (Holliston, Mass.) and Esther Plouffe (No. Scituate, R.I.) batted in the remaining runs for Lasell's offense.
Norwich exploded off the bats for a season-high 18 hits, surpassing its 16-hit showing on April 27 in a 17-0 victory at Lyndon State. George packed a heavy stat line with four hits and three runs scored, while Naomi Rinaldo (Middlefield, Conn.) and Perry had three hits each. Rinaldo roped two doubles, and accrued five of nine RBI's for the Cadets.
As the rain poured down on Taylor Field, the Cadets hit early and often, as Perry and George landed on first and second, respectively, on leadoff base hits to the outfield. Rinaldo cracked a base clearing double to center, and scored on an Oliver single to open the game at 3-0.
Lasell was quick to respond, as Smith capitalized on a Cadet miscue, and stole second base to put her in scoring position with Spellman at the plate. Spellman singled to right, sending Smith to third, who came home on a fielding error from Norwich. With one out down, freshman Sarah Kline (Vernon, Conn.) juiced the bases for Plouffe, who worked a walk to cut the Cadet lead, 3-2.
Lasell's momentum was overturned when Rinaldo again cleared the bases on a double down the left field line to give Norwich the 5-2 lead. Arcese pulled Lasell within two, 5-3, with a single to center in the fourth, but Norwich ignited a final four-run charge to close the contest 9-3.
