Waltham, Mass. (04/10/16) The Lasell baseball team dropped two games against Suffolk University on Sunday evening at Stein Diamond on the campus of Brandeis University. The Lasers fell to 8-10 (0-2 GNAC) while the Rams improved to 17-5 (3-1 GNAC).
Game One: Suffolk 13 Lasell 8
Senior Dan Gagnon (Pomfret, Conn.) went 2-for-3 on the day, highlighted by a go-ahead grand slam in the fifth. Senior Wes Hurty (Windsor, Conn.) belted two doubles in the effort, while fellow classmate Skylar Beckerman (Pensacola, Fla.) knocked in two runs for the Lasers.
For the Rams, Freshman Jake Frasca (Darien, Conn.) was a triple away from the cycle and knocked in five runs for the Rams. Juniors Sean Cameron (Milford, Conn.) and Kevin Belskie (Norristown, Pa.) both earned two hits while Cameron scored twice and batted in two runs of his own.
Suffolk started the high scoring affair in the first inning when Frasca doubled in two runs. In the third, Frasca hit a three-run homer to extend the Rams' lead to 5-0 before the Lasers came alive in their next at bats. The Lasers began to chip away at the deficit when Hurty took the plate and doubled in junior Hector Coscione (Newton, Mass.) for Lasell's first run of the evening.
In the fifth, the Lasers continued to slice at the Rams' lead after freshman Evan Michalek (Berlin, Conn.) laid down a perfect bunt on a suicide squeeze attempt to cut the lead to 5-2. Gagnon, the leadoff hitter, came to the plate with the bases loaded to hit his first career grand slam to left field to take the lead 6-5 over the Rams. Later in the inning, Beckerman continued the hot hitting with a two run homer to right field.
The fight wasn't over for the opposition, as the Rams put up four runs in the sixth to regain the lead, and tacked on another four in the seventh for the 13-8 final.
Senior Jake Malone (Harwich, Mass.) threw three innings and allowed five runs on five hits, while sophomore starting pitcher Ryan Pordes (Hawthorn, Calif.) went 4 2/3 innings and allowed 7 runs for the Rams. Freshmen Dave Marsell (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) and Brian Cohen (Hingham, Mass.) both threw scoreless outings for the Lasers while Cal Carroll earned a six out save for his sixth save of the year.
Game Two: Suffolk 17 Lasell 1
Suffolk junior Sean Cameron (Milford, Conn.) hit two base knocks and drove in five runs while scoring one run himself. Senior Jon Lapolla (Providence, RI) reached base safely three times and scored three times for the Rams while senior Drew Carter (Newburyport, Mass.) was a perfect three for three, scoring four times and driving in two runs.
The Lasers bats were held in check for most of the game by starting pitcher Kevin Sinatra. Lasell kept the game close throughout, until the Rams got the bats going late in the game. In the sixth inning, doubles by sophomore Brady Chant (Warwick, RI.) and Cameron drove in three runs. Suffolk blew the game open in the seventh, sending 10 runners across home plate.
Lasers' starter, senior Gary Trottier (Rehoboth, Mass.) threw 5 1/3 innings, allowing five earned runs while striking out three batters. Freshman Kevin Sinatra (East Boston, Mass.) pitched a one run complete game and struck out a total of eight Lasers on the day.
Lasell will host Albertus Magnus for a doubleheader on Monday, April 11th at 5pm and 7pm at Stein Diamond.