Suffolk Stops Lasell in GNAC Baseball Tourney

Nashua, N.H. (4/27/13) – The Lasell College baseball team saw their season come to an end in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference playoff, falling 5-2 to Suffolk University on Saturday afternoon at Holman Stadium in Nashua. Lasell wraps up their season at 13-23 while Suffolk improves to 26-9 and advances to face the loser of St. Joseph's (Maine) and Johnson and Wales University at 6:00 p.m.

Rob Madden (Hingham, Mass.) had a double and an RBI for Lasell, Bobby Stachura (Middletown, Conn.) singled and scored a run and Billy Uberti (Newton, Mass.) and Jake Salkovitz (Brockton, Mass.) each singled for the Lasers. Greg Sherman (Marshfield, Mass.) was credited with the loss, allowing three runs on nine hits while recording a pair of strikeouts. Eric Howard (Newton, Mass.) pitched an inning and two thirds in relief, yielding two runs, while David Long (Brookfield, Conn.) tossed an inning and a third of hitless baseball striking out two.

Mac Jacobson (Norfolk, Mass.) doubled and homered to lead the way for Suffolk, picking up a run and an RBI. Jake Cintolo (Wrentham, Mass.) had two singles, a run scored and one driven in, while Devan Jones (Roslindale, Mass.) and Chris Stanley (Placentia, Calif.) each added a pair of singles and one RBI. Steve Chamberland (Bristol, Conn.) earned the victory on the hill for Suffolk, allowing one run on four hits in six and two third innings of work, and Cal Carroll (Methuen, Mass.) picked up the save surrendering one unearned run and striking out two in two and a third innings.

Mac Jacobson opened the game with a solo homerun to give Suffolk a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. JC Collette (Amesbury, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to open the Rams at-bat in the top of the second inning, and after Sherman induced a fly ball for the first out of the inning, a single by Adam Johnson (Georgetown, Mass.) and Jacobson getting hit by a pitch loaded the bases with one. Cintolo reached on a fielder's choice that scored Collette with Jacobson being forced out at second base. Devin Jones singled to score Johnson and give Suffolk a 3-0 lead after an inning and a half.

Lasell got a run back in the bottom of the sixth, using a leadoff single and a walk to Dustin Brown (Falmouth, Mass.) to put runners on first and second with nobody out. The runners advanced to second and third on a sacrifice bunt, and Stachura scored and Brown moved to third when Matt Sammarco (New Canaan, Conn.) followed with a sacrifice fly. Chamberland fanned Lasell's Wes Hurty (Windsor, Conn.) to end the inning and stranding Brown on third with Lasell trailing 3-1.

The Lasers threatened again in the bottom of the seventh when Jake Salkovitz reached on an error to open the inning and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Chamberland retired the next two hitters for Lasell on fly-outs before handing the ball off to Carroll to close out the inning. A walk to Rob Madden gave the Lasers runners on first and third, but Carroll induced a fly ball to right field off the bat of Stachura to end the inning.

John Lapolla (Providence, R.I.) walked to open the top of the eighth for Suffolk, and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Jacobson flew out for the second out of the inning, but Cintolo was hit by a pitch to give the Rams runners on first and second with two outs. Jake Malone (Harwich, Mass.) relieved Howard for Lasell, and allowed a single to Devan Jones to load the bases. Consecutive walks to Mike Cunningham (Syosset, N.Y.) and Chris Stanley forced in a pair of runs for Suffolk, and chased Malone from the game. David Long got the third out of the inning via a fly-out to left field, leaving the Lasers trailing 5-1 and escaping any further damage.

Lasell rallied in the bottom of the ninth inning as Dan Gagnon (Pomfret Center, Conn.) reached on an error and Billy Uberti walked and both runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. Rob Madden grounded out for the first out of the inning and scoring Gagnon to cut the Rams lead to 5-2. A strikeout and a ground out ended the Lasers threat and hope for a ninth inning rally as Suffolk moved on in the GNAC tournament.