NEWTON, Mass. – The University of Saint Joseph (Connecticut) swept a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) softball doubleheader from Lasell College Saturday afternoon at Taylor Field, winning the opener, 5-1, and taking the nightcap, 4-1.
The Blue Jays extended their winning streak to seven games, improving to 16-12 overall and 5-1 in the GNAC, while Lasell drops to 3-21 overall and 0-6 in the conference.
The Lasers were led by junior Arianna Genovese (Rocky Hill, Conn.), who went 2-for-3 with a double in each game.
Lasell gets right back into action with a key GNAC doubleheader at Taylor Field on Sunday, April 14, against Regis College at noon. Lasell, Regis and Albertus Magnus College are all in a battle for the final playoff spot in the GNAC South Division. St. Joe's returns home to host Suffolk University on Sunday at noon.
Game 1 – St. Joseph 5, Lasell 1
The Lasers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning as freshman Brianna Gendreau (Warren, R.I.) doubled and scored on Genovese's single through the left side. Sophomore Hannah Doherty (Hampton, N.H.) made the lead stand up for four innings, blanking the Blue Jays on just four hits.
USJ finally got on the board with four unearned runs with two outs in the fifth inning. Seniors Kara Klimaszewski (Naugatuck, Conn.) and Isabell Russo (Southington, Conn.) had RBI singles and junior McKenna Driscoll (Bristol, Conn.) followed with a two-run double down the left field line. The Blue Jays added an insurance run in the seventh on a home run to left field by junior Amaria Sharon (Tolland, Conn.).
Genovese had two of Lasell's five hits in the game. Klimaszewski went 3-for-4 for USJ.
Sharon earned the complete-game victory (6-4) for USJ, allowing one run on five hits, fanning two.
Game 2 -- St. Joseph 4, Lasell 1
Both teams scored in the second inning. Sophomore Megan Burke (Parkland, Fla.) came home on a Lasell throwing error and freshman Ashlee White (Bristol, Conn.) had an RBI single to put USJ up 2-0. Lasell answered with one run in the bottom half of the inning as Genovese singled and came home on a triple by sophomore Hailey Haskins (Franklin, N.H.).
The Blue Jays pulled away with single runs in the sixth and seventh innings. Sharon and Klimaszewski had back-to-back doubles in the sixth, and Driscoll cracked a home run to left in the seventh.
Genovese and Haskins had two hits apiece for Lasell. Driscoll had three hits for the visitors and Sharon had two for USJ.
Sophomore Alessandro Milardo (Plantsville, Conn.) earned the complete-game victory (3-5) for the Blue Jays, allowing a run in six hits while striking out two.
-- 30 --