Baseball Sweeps Lasell, 5-2 and 5-4, To Open 2014 Campaign

Yaphank, NY --- Sophomore Dennis Duplessis (Marlboro, MA) blasted his first collegiate homer in the opener and freshman Andrew Wells (Methuen, MA) picked up his first career victory in the second contest as the pair helped Worcester State sweep Lasell, 5-2 and 5-4, this afternoon in non-conference baseball action at Baseball Heaven on Long Island.

The matchup for both squads marked their season opening contests and they had never faced off against each other previously.

In the nightcap, Lasell snapped a 3-3 tie in the top of the fifth by taking advantage of an infield miscue on the mound when freshman Brandon Valentin (Meriden, CT) walked in senior Billy Uberti (N. Smithfield, RI) with the bases loaded.

As the Lasers threatened to score again with runners in scoring position and no one out, Wells was inserted into the game and he responded by setting down the side in order.

Escaping the frame without any damage loomed large in the next half frame as freshman Adam Barry (Auburn, MA) jacked a lead-off triple into the right center gap to start things off for the Lancers.

Senior Rob MacDonald (Waltham, MA) followed by plating Barry to tie up the contest at 4-4 before he came around to score on a RBI ground out by sophomore Steve Wallace (Auburn, MA) for the game-winning run.

Wells (1-0) then buckled down and tossed a scoreless sixth and seventh inning to seal up the triumph for the Lancers.

Lasell originally staked the early 2-0 margin on run producing singles by senior Bobby Ellard (Medfield, MA) and Valentin.

The Blue and Gold came right back with a trio of runs in the bottom of the second to take over the 3-2 edge. Junior Nick Gikas (Danvers, MA) crossed home plate on a wild throw by the shortstop and Wallace knocked in Duplessis on an RBI safety to right field.

Valentin helped the Lasers respond by making the score 3-3 with a two-out double scoring freshman Hector Coscione (Newton, MA) in the top of the third.

Junior Greg Sherman (Marshfield, MA) (0-1) absorbed the setback for Lasell as he yielded the tying and go-ahead runs to cross the plate in his three innings of work.

Barry, McDonald and junior David Ruggiero (Peabody, MA) all chipped in with two base-hits each while Wallace had a pair of RBIs.

Junior Kevin Post (Cromwell, CT) was 3-for-3 with a walk and Valentin helped manufacture three of Lasell's four scores. Valentin and Uberti both added two hits each to pace the Lasers attack which outhit the Lancers, 11-10 in the second contest.

The opener started off as a back and forth affair. Barry, who was 3-for-4 in the first game, drove in Wallace in the top of the first for the 1-0 score. Lasell answered with the equalizer on a sacrifice fly by Uberti.

In the top of the second, Wallace used a little small ball to create a score with a safety squeeze for the 2-1 advantage. Post, who was the starting pitcher for the Lasers, helped out his own cause with a solo homer to left center to tie things up again.

But Worcester State took the 4-2 lead for good on RBI ground outs by freshman Joe Kasper (Lynn, MA) and Gikas in the top of the third. Duplessis tacked on some insurance in the fourth with a solo dinger to left center for the 5-2 contest.

MacDonald and junior Jared Kuzio (Franklin, MA) then combined to throw four scoreless frames to shut down the Lasers. Lasell had runners on base, but could not put a dent on the scoreboard. They left five men in scoring position, ran into an inning-ending tag-out at first in the fifth and grounded into a double play in the sixth.

MacDonald (1-0) picked up the victory in relief while Kuzio notched his second career save. Both went two innings each and they both yielded four base-knocks while MacDonald fanned three batters.

Junior Kris Doyle (Millbury, MA) made his first appearance of the campaign for the Lancers. He went the first three frames, giving up two earned runs on four base knocks to go with one walk and three punch outs.

After Post went the first two stanzas, junior Ryan Bowen (Hudson, MA) tossed the final five frames for the Lasers. Despite allowing three earned runs on four hits, he set down 12 of his last 16 batters – including the bases juiced in the top of the sixth.

Gagnon, Post, Coscione, sophomore Rob Madden (Hingham, MA) and classmate Wes Hurty (Windsor, CT) all notched two hits each to help Lasell double up their opponents in hits, 12-6 in the first game.

For the twinbill, Lasell had a remarkable day at the plate, outslugging the Lancers, 23-16, but they stranded 17 men at the plate and 12 in scoring position.

Ruggiero went hitless in the opener for WSU, but he came up with several key defensive plays for his team. In addition to his key assist on the inning-ending tag-out to end the fifth, Ruggeiro robbed Post his third base-knock of the contest by making a diving stop in right center to end a rally in the bottom of the sixth.