Franklin, MA – The Lasell University baseball team swept the Dean College Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon, 4-3 in game one and 7-1 in game two. The doubleheader sweep extends the Lasers to 15-7 overall and 4-1 in GNAC play, while the Bulldogs drop to 3-13 overall and 0-7 in conference.
Game One:
The Lasers got started early in this one as Scott Lyon doubled down the right field line to bring in two early runs and give Lasell a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Although they got on the board early, Lasell couldn't get much to drop over the next few innings despite putting good swings together.
Dean got on the board in the fifth with an RBI single from Gavin Goss that would pull the Bulldogs within one. Both sides traded scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh, but Lasell would tack on two more in the eighth as Connor Freitas scored on a wild pitch and CJ Mills singled to center field to score Chris Bulk.
Dean would get two back in the bottom half of the inning on a fielder's choice with the bases loaded that plated one and a double steal of second and home scored another. After eight Lasell led 4-3.
In the final inning Dean would load the bases, but the Lasers' Ethan Bernardo shut things down, earning his second save of the season and sealing the game one win for Lasell.
Graduate Student Zachary Simone (2-1) got the start for the Lasers, and earned the win, chucking five innings, allowing just one run on four hits while walking two and striking out two.
Offensively, Bulk and Lyon each doubled and singled and Lyon drove in two runs. Mills and Jared Whitby also singled for the Lasers.
Game Two:
Game two started slower than game one as both sides starting pitchers were dealing early. Neither side could get things going until the top of the fourth when Lyon drove in Tim Callahan on a sacrifice fly ball to right field.
Both sides traded scoreless innings yet again in the fifth and sixth, but Whitby extended the Laser lead in the seventh as he singled through the right side of the infield and a throwing error by the right fielder allowed Bulk to score all the way from first. The Lasers would blow it wide open in the top of the ninth and it would start with a perfectly executed safety squeeze from Mills that would score Bulk. Graduate student, Brad
Edwards singled through the right side, scoring Whitby and giving the Lasers a 4-0 lead. The next batter, Lyon, singled to right field which would be the 100th of his career and it would also plate Mills. Ross Audet came up next and ripped a ground ball to the second baseman that would score Edwards. Freitas then came up in a pinch-hit situation and singled to center to score Lyon and cap off the big inning, leaving Lasell with a 7-0 lead.
The Bulldogs attempted a comeback and plated one run in the bottom of the ninth on a walk but couldn't muster anything more as the Lasers went on to win 7-1.
Matt Fletcher (3-2) was on the hill for the Lasers, getting the win, and throwing seven innings, allowing just four hits while striking out nine.
Offensively, Lyon singled and drove in two, Bulk and Whitby each had two hits. Bryan Baumann, Mills, Callahan, Edwards, and Freitas each singled.
Up Next – The Lasers return home for non-conference action vs Vermont State Castleton on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is slated for 2:00 pm at Brandeis Universities, Stein Diamond.