WALTHAM, Mass. (4/12/15) – Junior catcher Wes Hurty (Windsor, Conn.) registered his first career home run in a 6-2 defeat against Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) opponent Rivier University at the Stein Diamond on Saturday afternoon. The Lasers grabbed a 5-3 victory in the first game of the conference twinbill, bumping their overall record to 9-12 (5-4 GNAC), while the Raiders drop to 9-15 this spring (5-7 GNAC).
Game One Lasell: 5 Rivier: 3
Senior pitcher Kevin Post (Cromwell, Conn.) was the deciding factor in game one, as he cranked his third career homer to go along with two hits and three RBI's. Senior AJ McKenzie (Pasadena, M.D.) went 2-for-3 on the day, while junior Dan Gagnon (Pomfret Center, Conn.), senior Matt Sammarco (New Canaan, Conn.), and Hurty each chipped in with a base hit for the Lasers.
Senior J.J. Montello (Nashua, N.H.) went a perfect 4-for-4 for the Raiders, while Junior Jeremy Ball (Swanzey, N.H.) went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Senior David Cusack (Newburyport, Mass.) and junior David Feole (Scituate, R.I.) went 1-for-3, respectively, with Feole driving in a run for the visitors.
Montello set the pace in the lead-off spot for the Raiders as he singled down the left field line and slid to second via a sac bunt by Cusack. A single to center by Ball drove Montello home to give the Raiders the 1-0 lead just before Feole cranked a single to center to score the Raiders' second of the game.
Post used his 1-of-2 hits in the next inning to bring Dan Gagnon home, cutting the Lasers' deficit by a single run (2-1). After a scoreless two and a half innings, Post relied on his hot hitting to blast a two-run homer, giving the Lasers the go-ahead run, 3-2.
The Raiders would not let down, however, squeezing in a third run in the top of the fifth following an error on the Lasers' defense. The Lasers continued to drive in runs of insurance in the bottom of the fifth when Hurty singled to center field to drive in Oliveira before scoring a run on his own.
Along with an impressive hitting performance, Post grabbed his first win of the season (1-3), pitching a full game with eight scattered hits, three walks, and five strikeouts. Junior pitcher Jon Chotkowski (Tewksbury, Mass.) pitched to a no-decision with five hits and two earned runs, before sophomore Drew Neely (Lakeland, Fla.) took his third loss (0-3) on the hill, allowing two hits and two runs in 2.2 innings of relief pitched.
Game Two – Lasell: 6 Rivier: 2
Hurty paced the Lasers in game two with a home run and two RBI's on a 2-for-3 performance, while Dan Gagnon, junior Tyler Flaherty (Portland, Maine), and sophomore Brandon Valentin (Meriden, Conn.) each chipped in with a single RBI.
The Raiders saw single hits from senior Mike Scanlon (Plantsville, Conn.), sophomore Adam Arkell (Dover, N.H.), Feole, and Ball in the losing effort.
Roles were reversed in game two, as the Lasers got on the board early with two runs in the first inning, courtesy of a Hurty homer to left field.
The Raiders were quick to respond in the second, knotting the game to two via a single down the left line by freshman Ty Seaton (Pawtucket, R.I.). The Raiders, however, would stay at two for the remainder of the game, as Lasell packed in a pair of runs in the fourth and fifth innings to capture the 6-2 victory and the 2-0 doubleheader sweep.
Senior pitcher Ryan Bowen (Hudson, Mass.) earned his first win of the year (1-2), throwing a full game with a career-high 12 strikeouts. Rivier junior pitcher Jesse Turcotte (Tyngsboro, Mass.) took his first loss of the spring (0-1), allowing six runs and seven hits.
The Lasers resume Stein Field on Tuesday, April 14 as they take on Suffolk University for a rescheduled seven-inning GNAC game with first pitch slated for 6:00 p.m., while the Raiders host Eastern Nazarene for a non-conference single at 7:05 p.m.