NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. - Freshman pitcher Josh Bahnick (Clinton, Mass.) registered his first career win for the Lasell College baseball team as he allowed two runs (one earned), scattered six hits and struck out three batters in a complete game effort to defeat Newbury College 4-2 in non-conference action at the New England Baseball Complex on Tuesday evening. With the win, Lasell improves to 4-7 this spring, while Newbury drops to 7-10 overall.
Senior Matt Sammarco (Marshfield, Mass.) went 3-for-4 with a ground rule double and two singles to pace the Lasers. Classmate Kevin Post (Cromwell, Conn.) and junior Skylar Beckerman (Pensacola, Fla.) both went 2-for-4 with an RBI, while freshman Jesse Tejero (West Haven, Conn.) and senior Evan Mozingo (Brookfield, Conn.) each drove in single runs to account for Lasell's other two markers.
Newbury senior pitcher Cameron D'Agostino (Salisbury, Mass.) threw the first four 2/3 innings and allowed eight hits, four runs (three earned), two walks and stuck out two batters as well. Freshman Jacob Pringle (Acushnet, Mass.) pitched the rest of the game striking out six batters over three 1/3 innings on the hill. Sophomore centerfielder Ian Hruniak (Lutz, Fla.) doubled, scored a run and drove in the Nighthawks' second run, while D'Agostino drove in the other run for the visitors.
After Hruniak led of the top of the first inning with a walk, D'Agostino drove him home on a line drive single which gave the Nighthawks an early 1-0 advantage. Lasell, however, put a three-spot on the board in the bottom of the first to take the lead for good.
Sammarco drilled a ground rule double to deep left field and advanced to third on a passed ball with one out in the inning. Beckman hit Sammarco home on a liner to centerfield that evened the game, 1-1. Junior catcher Wes Hurty (Windsor, Conn.) and Post followed this at-bat with back-to-back singles that loaded the bases. Tejero plated Post with a single up the middle and Mozingo hit a sacrifice fly to left field that made the score 3-1.
Hruniak added Newbury's second run in the top of the second on an RBI double that brought home junior Patrick Argentina (Millerton, N.Y.) that cut the deficit to a single run, 3-2. Post came to bat for Lasell in the top of the fifth and roped an RBI double that brought around Hurty from second base that extended Lasell's lead to 4-2.
The Lasers' defense came up big in the top of the sixth inning as a single was lined to Sammarco in left field with two outs in the inning. Sammarco drilled the runner out at home plate from deep left field as a one-hop throw found Hurty for the final out of the inning. In the top of the seventh a 6-4-3 double play didn't allow Newbury to cross the plate as the second hitter of the inning, pinch-hitter James McGrorry (Oakhurst, N.J.), walked in his first plate appearance.
Bahnick closed the game for the Lasers and allowed just a single hit, a double in the top of the eighth inning, as the Lasers picked up their first victory after returning from Florida, 4-2.
Lasell is scheduled to open its Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) schedule on Thursday, March 26 at 7:00, while Newbury welcomes Southern Vermont to its campus for a conference doubleheader with first pitch slated for 3:30 p.m.