The Suffolk University Softball team was on the road this Sunday afternoon in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action against the Lasell College Lasers. The Rams split with the Lasers taking them in game one in five innings 8-0 and dropping game two 8-5.
Game 1: Suffolk 8 Lasell 0
The Rams started off swinging at the top of the first when senior Erin McAndrews (Marblehead, Mass.) stepped up to the plate with two outs and homered to put the Rams up 1-0. The Rams defense went three and out when junior Sarah Chasse (Salem, Mass.) retired the Lasers' last batter to round out the inning and keep Lasell scoreless.
Senior Nikki Cignarella (Norwood, Mass.) started off the second inning to get the Rams on base with a single. When freshman Sara Middleton (Otis, Mass.) took to the plate she singled to bring Cignarella home to give the Rams a 2-0 lead. Sophomore Meredith Ball (Nahant, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice and then stole second base for the Rams. Eileen Bergin (Arlington, Mass.) closed out the inning for the Lasers by retiring the Rams' last batter.
In the top of the third the Rams took advantage of two Laser errors to pad the score. McAndrews reached first on an error by Lasell's right fielder. Then freshman Anna Grace Maggs (Schenectady, N.Y.) doubled to bring home McAndrews. Chasse stepped up with a sacrificed bunt to get Maggs on third. Freshman Lindsay Pagano (Wyckoff, N.J.) reached on an error by the pitcher and Maggs scored to put the Rams up 4-0.
The Top of the fourth was another error ridden inning for the Lasers and the highest scoring inning for the Rams . Ball reached on an error from the shortstop. Kristen Young (Windsor, Conn.) singled with a bunt to advance Ball to second. McAndrews got up to the plate and doubled bringing home both Young and Ball. Maggs doubled to bring McAndrews across the plate for a 7-0 score with no outs. Pagano reached on an error from the second baseman. Cignarella stepped up to reach on an error by the right fielder to bring Chasse home for the Rams' last score of the game to put them up 8-0.
Game 2: Lasell 8 Suffolk 5
Chasse reached on error by the shortstop to start off game two. Maggs stepped up and grounded out to the pitcher to bring Chasse home for the Rams' first score of the game. Top of the third Maggs singled to get Chasse across home plate. Ball reached on an error from second base to get Young home to put the score at 3-0. Maggs reached home on a wild pitch for a 4-0 score and the Rams' biggest lead of the inning.
Both offenses stayed quiet until Lasell stepped up in the bottom of the fifth scoring all their runs. Sophomore Nicole LeBlanc (Easton, Mass.) started the Lasers off with a single. Denise Archetto (Cranston, R.I.) doubled to get Leblanc to third. Emily Noll (Weymouth, Mass.) reached on an error to bring LeBlanc home for the Lasers' first score of the afternoon. With the bases loaded Emily DeAngelis (Shelton, Conn.) was walked to bring in another run for the Lasers to close the gap to 4-2. Courtney Moen (Brookfield, Mass.) reached on a fielder's choice to get another Laser across home plate. Bergin was walked with the bases loaded to tie the score 4-4. LeBlanc stepped up and tripled with the bases loaded once again to bring in three RBI for the Lasers to take the lead 7-4. Archetto singled to bring LeBlanc home for the final run for the Lasers to make it 8-4. The Rams tried to close the gap at the top of the seventh but was only able to score one run off a single from Ball to put the final score at 8-5.
The Rams are now 6-16 overall and 1-7 in conference play. The Lasers are 13-11 overall with a 6-6 record in the conference.
The Rams are back in action on Tuesday in a non-conference doubleheader hosting Pine Manor College at 3:00pm and 5:00 pm. The Lasers are hosting a non-conference doubleheader against Brandeis University on Tuesday at 3:00pm and 5:00pm.