Written by: Matthew Todd, Sports Information Assistant
Fort Myers, FL – The Lasers suffered a sweep at the hands of the Salve Regina University Seahawks on Monday at Terry Park in Fort Myers, Florida. It would take extra innings before Salve Regina walked off with a 7-6 victory in game one. Game two was another game full of offense, ending a 15-8 Seahawks win.
An incredibly entertaining game one would a back and forth affair until the end. Joshua Sullivan (Rockland, MA) took the ball in game one for the Lasell, while Kyle Pheland (North Scituate, RI) got the ball for Salve Regina.
The Lasers jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Jacob Salkovitz (Brockton, MA) reached base on a hit by pitch and later stole second base to put himself in scoring position. Kevin Post (Cromwell, CT) ripped an RBI double scoring Salkovitz. Dominic Di Sano (Central Falls, RI) launched a two run homerun in the bottom half of the inning to give Salve Regina a 2-1 lead after two innings of play.
Lasell would tie the game at 2-2 in the top of the fourth inning when Post struck an RBI single, scoring Conor Cavanagh (Quincy, MA) who reached base on an error.
The Lasers regained the lead in the fifth inning when Sullivan smacked a two run homerun to put Lasell on top 4-2. The Seahawks would not let the lead increase, and scored a run of its own in the bottom of the fifth inning. Daniel Donohue (Westbury, NY) flied out to left field, and Anthony Conte (Georgetown, MA) advanced home to make it a one run ball game at 4-3.
The Seahawks took a 6-4 lead by scoring three runs in the sixth inning on RBI's by Stephen Crawford (Barrington, RI), Nicholas Gaj (Pawtucket, RI), and Conte.
Bobby Stachura (Middletown, CT) and Cavanagh evened the game at 6-6 in the top of the seventh inning to force extra innings. Stachura lined an RBI single to center field scoring Brendan Jordan (Rocky Hill, CT). Cavanagh stepped up to the plate next and crushed an RBI double scoring Matt Mahoney (Rockland, MA).
The Seahawks ended the game in the eighth inning when Conte hit a walk-off single.
Sullivan and Pheland both took the no decision in game one. Sullivan tossed four innings, giving up two runs on five hits while striking out four. Pheland threw six and a third innings, allowing six runs (five earned) on seven hits.
David Long (Brookfield, CT), (0-1), took the loss after giving up one run in one and two-thirds innings of work.
Daniel Kehew (Portsmouth, RI), (1-0), earned the win, going one and two-thirds innings without surrendering a run and striking out three.
Game two would feature an enormous amount of offense, as a combined 23 runs were scored. Salve Regina quickly jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI single by Matt Capone (East Providence, RI) and a sacrifice fly by Nicholas Dell'Anno (Reading, MA).
The Seahawks would add three more runs in the third inning and four runs in the fourth inning to push its lead to 9-0. Dell'Anno chipped in with an RBI double in the third and an RBI single in the fourth inning.
After five innings of work Lasell starting pitcher Matt Pitts (Stoneham, MA) was chased out of the game after giving up nine runs on 12 hits.
The Lasers answered in the fifth inning with an eight run outburst to trim the Seahawks lead to 9-8. Stachura scored after Cavanagh reached on an error. Kyle Fitzsimmons (Stratham, NH) smashed an RBI double that scored Jackson Gervais (Rehoboth, MA) who pinch ran for Cavanagh. Dan Mickens (Montclair, NJ) kept the inning going with a two run single that scored Post and Gervais. Chris Williams (Hingham, MA) and Matt Sammarco (New Canaan, CT) each contributed to the scoring with a two run double and an RBI single respectively.
The offensive explosion by Lasell forced Salve Regina to take out its starter Jonathan Atkins (Greenfield, MA) after only four and two-thirds innings. Atkins allowed eight runs on eight hits while walking three Laser hitters.
Salve Regina scored three runs each in the top of the sixth and seventh innings to increase its lead to 15-8, which the game ended with a final score of.
Five batters tallied two or more hits for the Seahawks, including an impressive 4-for-4 game by Joe Haley (North Kingstown, RI). Nicholas Politelli (Warwick, RI) went 2-for-5 in game two with three RBI, and Dell'Anno was 2-for-2 with four RBI.
Stachura and Evan Mozingo (Brookfield, CT) each added two hits for the Lasers in the defeat.
Pitts (0-1) took the loss in game two while Atkins (1-0) registered his first victory of the season.
Lasell falls to 0-4 on the young season while Salve Regina improves its record to 2-3. The Lasers return to the diamond Tuesday with a matchup with Kenyon College at Terry Park in Fort Myers, Florida at 3:00 p.m.