DUDLEY, Mass. (Apr. 3) – Lasell seniors Conor Cavanaugh (Quincy, MA) and Joshua Sullivan (Rockland, MA) combined for 10 hits, nine RBI's and four runs scored as the Lasers defeated Nichols in a 19-14 non-conference baseball contest on Tuesday afternoon. Nichols' junior John Micciche (Holbrook, MA) was perfect at the plate going 4-for-4, while scoring and driving in a run.
Cavanaugh drilled a 2-RBI double to right center to put Lasell (9-14) on the board in the first inning. Nichols (2-14) responded with a sacrifice fly off the bat of senior Dylan Courtney (Ware, MA) in the home half of the stanza.
The Lasers extended their lead in the second frame. With the base paths juiced sophomore Billy Uberti (Newton, MA) and junior Bobby Stachura (Middletown, CT) earned free passes on consecutive at-bats for a pair of runs. Cavanaugh then sent the ball into right center to drive in two more runs. A couple batters later sophomore Cory Mitchell (Rockland, MA) singled to left field to bring in the fifth run of the inning. An RBI groundout by junior Anthony Benvenuti (North Haven, CT) allowed the Bison to bring the score within five.
Lasell tacked on three more runs in the top of the third on a Sullivan RBI single, a Uberti sacrifice fly and a run scoring ground out by Cavanaugh. The hosts then grabbed another run on a ground out courtesy of an RBI groundout by sophomore Richie Burke (Newburyport, MA).
Nichols then received a lift defensively with a 1-2-3 top of the fourth before scoring four times in the bottom of the inning. Junior Kyle Russell (West Yarmouth, MA) hit into a fielder's choice that helped one run to score. Another fielder's choice off the bat of Nick Shaw allowed Russell to score and a second run scored on a Lasell throwing error. Junior Bryan Gill (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) singled down the left field line to drive in the final run of the frame.
The visitors pulled away once again as Stachura singled to help a run to reach home and later Cavanaugh produced two more RBI on a hit down the right field line. Micciche smacked a double to right center as the Bison scored in the bottom of the fifth.
Sullivan sent a sacrifice fly to right field and a throwing miscue allowed another Laser run to score in the top of the sixth. Burke legged out a single to help Nichols plate at least one run in each of the first six innings.
Neither team would score in the seventh inning as the offense picked back up in the eighth beginning with a pair of runs driven in on a single up the middle by Uberti. The Lasers tacked on two more in the top of the ninth on a pinch hit by rookie Kevin Post (Cromwell, CT) and a miscue during the same sequence.
The hosts then mounted a rally that started with a leadoff home run to center field by junior Cody Jankins (West Brookfield, MA). Junior Kyle Russell (West Yarmouth, MA) then knocked in a pair of Bison on a single down the left field line. Benvenuti sent a 2-RBI double to right center for the final pair of runs in the contest.
In addition to Sullivan and Cavanaugh going 5-for-6 at the dish, Uberti collected four RBI and two runs scored as he went 2-for-3. For Nichols, Gill, Burke and Jankins each registered a pair of hits as Russell and Benvenuti helped drive in three runs apiece.
Lasell freshman Greg Sherman (Marshfield, MA) allowed five earned runs on six hits in four innings of work. David Long (Brookfield, CT) earned the win, going three innings and yielding two runs on five hits. Andrew Porter (Middleboro, MA) pitched a perfect eighth, and Sullivan struck out a pair after coming on to relieve Vinny Romano (Yonkers, NY) in the ninth.
Senior Nicholas Fowler (Salem, MA) was saddled with the loss as he shared time on the mound with sophomore Chris Bruno (Newburyport, MA) and junior Ray Curto (Braintree, MA).
The Bison hit the road tomorrow for a 3:30 first pitch at Fitchburg State. Lasell entertains Wentworth on Thursday at 7:00 p.m.