Gagnon Gives Standout Performance in Baseball Split with Skidmore

FORT MYERS, Fla. (3/15/15) – The Lasell College baseball team opened their 2015 season with a doubleheader split with Skidmore College in Fort Myers, Fla. at the Lee County Player Development Complex.

Skidmore took the first game 9-6, getting on the board early with four runs in the first inning. Seniors Matt Barra (Pittsford, N.Y.) and Nick Barra (Pittsford, N.Y.) and junior Jeb Clarke (Bethel, Maine) cranked out consecutive doubles for Skidmore's first three at bats. A left side single by junior Mike LaVita (Walpole, Mass.) drove in Clarke to put the Thoroughbreds up 4-0. 

Junior Dan Gagnon (Pomfret Center, Conn.) fired back at the deficit with a deep triple to left field. A sacrifice fly from senior AJ McKenzie (Pasadena, M.D.) rounded Gagnon home to put the Lasers in the game 4-1.

After an RBI single up the middle from Clarke in the top of the fourth, the Lasers generated two runs batted in via a single from junior Tyler Flaherty (Portland, Maine) and sophomore Matt Haskell (Wallingford, Conn.) to trail their opponents 8-4.

The Lasers' rallied in the fifth, led by Gagnon with a deep home run to left field. During last ups, Lasell piled in two runs via a ground rule double from junior Wes Hurty (Windsor, Conn.), scoring senior Kevin Post (Cromwell, Conn.), who got on base with a deep double to right field. However, this is as close as the Lasers would get as Skidmore took the first game 9-6.

Gagnon continued a tremendous performance in the second game of the day, driving in freshman Jesse Tejero (West Haven, Conn.) on a triple to left field to give the Lasers the early 1-0 lead.  With runners on second and third in the fourth, Tejero and senior Matt Sammarco (New Canaan, Conn.) drove in two RBI's to up the advantage 4-1.

Lasell senior Evan Mozingo (Brookfield, Conn.) stepped up to the plate in the fifth inning to crush a double to right field, scoring a run on the play. Mozingo drove in the final run of the day in the top of the seventh inning with a single to right field.

Sophomore Dan Berger (Meriden, Conn.) stepped up to the mound to finish the game, only allowing a single hit. With one out to go in the seventh, Berger struck out Skidmore's final batter, ending the game 6-5. 

Senior pitcher Nick Petrella (West Sayville, N.Y.) earned the win for the Thoroughbreds, while Berger earned his first victory for the Lasers. 

Lasell will take the field tomorrow, March 15 at 9:00 a.m. for a doubleheader with the University of Dubuque.