Lasers Sweep AMCATS Sunday Afternoon

NEWTON, Mass – The AMCATS softball team continued their conference schedule Sunday against Lasell after dropping two to Mount Ida on Saturday. Due to field conditions, the AMCATS played host to Lasell at Lasell in Newton. The AMCATS were unable to grad their first win of the season, dropping both games to the Lasers, 8-0 and 9-1.

Game 1

The AMCATS got four hits in the first game, two from senior Amanda Lemire who was a perfect two-for-two in the game. Lauren Lapierre and second basemen Annie Melanson recorded the other two hits in the game for the 'Cats. Starting pitcher Victoria Falco threw 5.0 innings, giving up nine hits, all eight runs, though only three were earned.

The Lasers scored their eight runs in the game on nine hits, three of which came from Bethany Hector who went three-for-three in the game and scored two runs. Leadoff hitter Alexis Truesdale and Sarah Walton also had multi-hit games for Lasell, each having two-for-two games, Truesdale scored a run, Walton scored two. Pitcher Nicole Arcese drove in a run in a one-hit game and scored a run of her own. In the circle, Arcese pitched a five inning shutout, allowing just the four hits. She struck out five AMCATS in the process.

The game started slow for both team, though the Lasers did break the tie in the top of the first with Arcese helping herself, driving in Truesdale to give the visitors a 1-0 lead after one.

After the 'Cats failed to score in the bottom of the first, the Lasers extended their lead to five runs in the second innings by way of an error, a triple by Nicolette Genkos, a Truesdale single and a passed ball.

With the 5-0 advantage, and the 'Cats unable to score, the Lasers wouldn't score again until the fifth. In the fifth, Genkos reached on an error which scored Sarah Kline. In the inning, two more runs would score, the last on an Arcese single that scored Walton.

The AMCATS were unable to score in the bottom of the fifth and the game ended by run rule, 8-0 in favor of the visitors, on their home field.

Game 2

In game two, the AMCATS recorded just one hit, a triple, off the bat of Amanda Lemire, who was now three-for-four on the day. She also scored the only run of the game and the day for Anna Maria. Lemire was driven in by Sabrina Carreira. Starting pitcher Kathryn Rendock pitched all five innings allowing nine hits and nine runs, either earned. She also posted two strike outs in the game.

Lasell had a multi-hit game from Hailey Haskins, who went two-for-four in the game with two RBI and a run scored. She posted one of the two extra base hits for Lasell in the game, a triple, in the fourth.  Haskins was also the Lasers starting pitcher, chucking 5.0 inning, giving up one hit, one run and striking out five. Leadoff hitter Shayna Fondini went one-for-three in the game, her only hit a double, with an RBI and two runs scored.

Lasell, again, began the scoring in the first, this time scoring two runs on a Victoria Spellmansingle which plated Fondini, followed by a wild pitch that allowed Arianna Genovese to score.

With a two-run advantage, the Lasers kept the AMCATS at bay and added a run in the third, taking a 3-0 lead. They would add to that lead, in the fourth, scoring four more runs on a wild pitch, a Fondini double that scored Bailey Burnett, then the Haskins triple scoring Fondini and a fielder's choice which scored Haskins. Now up 7-0 after three and a half, the AMCATS scored their lone run with Lemire scoring after her triple on a Carreira ground out to second.  

In the fifth, the Lasers would score two more runs to take a 9-1 lead. In the bottom of the fifth, the 'Cats were unable to minimize the lead and after the third out was made, Lasell has sealed the Conference sweep of the AMCATS on the road, on their home field.

The AMCATS will be back at it on Tuesday as they host Worcester rival, Becker College in a non-conference double header beginning at 3pm on the Campus of Anna Maria College.