Newton, Mass. – The Lasell University Lasers softball team came up short in a tough conference battle against the Johnson and Wales Wildcats, 13-3 and 4-3, at Taylor Field.
Lasell falls to 8-4 on the year and 2-4 in the GNAC while Johnson and Wales improve to 14-1 and 6-0 in the GNAC
Lasell will be back in action on Saturday April 17, when they take on Saint Joseph Connecticut in a conference doubleheader, with the first pitch scheduled for 12:00 P.M. and the second game scheduled for 2:00.
Game 1 – Lasell 3 Johnson & Wales 13
The Wildcats got the scoring started in the first inning on a double by senior Jill Pulek (Cheshire, Conn.). They added a second run when Pulek scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of sophomore Kaelani Gamble (Vancouver, Wash.).
The Lasers grabbed on back in the bottom half of the inning when senior Bethany Hector (Jaffrey, N.H.) walked with the bases loaded to bring home a run.
Johnson and Wales added a run in the third inning when Pulek scored on a passed ball to push the lead back to two.
Pulek added two more runs to the Wildcats cause in the fourth when she singled home two runs.
The Wildcats added runs in both the fifth and the sixth inning on singles by senior Shari Minalga (Seymour, Conn.) which brought home one run and freshman Talia Smaller (Salem, Mass.) brought home two.
The scoring continued in the seventh inning first with Minalga scoring on an error and then senior Devin Scales (Mount Airy, Md.) doubled home two. Pulek scored on an RBI ground out by sophomore Alexis Falcigno (Branford, Conn.) and Scales came home to score on a passed ball for the Wildcats final run.
Lasell did not go down quietly in the seventh scoring first on an RBI ground out by sophomore Julie Macmillan (Acton, Mass.). Sophomore Matara Tamzarian (Manchester, N.H.) singled home a run through the left side but it would not be enough to top the Wildcats.
Tamzarian went three four three including an RBI for the Lasers while Pulek went four for four with three RBIs for the Wildcats.
Game 2 – Lasell 3 Johnson and Wales 4 (6 Innings – Darkness)
Lasell jumped out to an early lead in the first inning following a bases loaded walk by freshman Katie Hopkins (New Hyde Park, N.Y.).
The Wildcats evened the game in the fifth inning when Minalga singled home a run after a long scoreless streak by both teams.
Freshman Hailey Erickson (Calimesa, Calif.) gave the Wildcats the lead in the sixth on a two RBI single. The Wildcats added one more on an RBI single off the bat off freshman Julia Huzi (Trumbull, Conn.).
The Lasers responded in the bottom of the inning when senior Alexis Truesdale (Wakefield, Mass.) reached on an error scoring both freshman Ally Kirck (Hamden, Conn.) and senior Nicolette Genkos (Worcester, Mass.).
The top of the seventh got started but would not finish as the game got called for darkness following a catch in foul territory by Tamzarian giving the Wildcats the win.
Kirck led the Lasers going three four three and freshman Eryn Sheeley (North Haven, Conn.) went two for four. Freshman Sage Borkowski (Oxford, Conn.) picked up the win and junior Summer Ramundo (Lincoln Park, N.J.) got the save.