Haskins, Spellman lead Lasell Softball to a GNAC split at Albertus Magnus

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Freshman Hailey Haskins (Franklin, N.H.) tossed a four-hit shutout with three strikeouts Saturday afternoon to lead the Lasell College softball team to a 4-0 victory over Albertus Magnus College and a split of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) doubleheader at the Shea Softball Complex. The Falcons took the opener, 8-2.

The victory in the nightcap was Lasell's first win over Albertus Magnus since an 8-6 extra inning decision over the Falcons on April 1, 2012, snapping an 11-game skid. Albertus took last year's doubleheader from the Lasers by a combined score of 23-1.

Haskins scattered four singles and walked just one to record her second win of the season (2-3), as only two runners advanced past second base. Senior Brianna Whitfield (West Islip, N.Y.) had two of Albertus' four hits.

Sophomore Victoria Spellman (Rocky Hill, Conn.) had two hits in the nightcap, including a double, and drove in two to cap off a six-hit day. Haskins and freshman Shayna Fondini (Burlington, Mass.) also collected two hits in the winning effort.

Lasell scored single runs in the first, third, fourth and sixth innings. Fondini scored the game-winner in the first when she singled, went to third on a pair of infield grounders, and came home on a passed ball. Spellman doubled in Fondini in the third after Fondini's second hit; Haskins scored an unearned run in the fourth after a single and two Falcon errors; and Haskins plated the final run in the sixth after a single, a passed ball and two infield grounders.

Spellman went 4-for-4 for Lasell in the opener, while sophomore Arianna Genovese (Rocky Hill, Conn.) and freshman Bethany Hector (Jaffrey, N.H.) had two hits apiece and Genovese knocked in two.

Genovese's first-inning RBI single put the Lasers on the board early, but Albertus Magnus took the lead in the bottom of the third with a two-run double by Melissa Castillo (Taftville, N.Y.). Lasell tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the fifth when Spellman tripled with one out and came home on Genovese's single, but the Falcons pulled away with four runs in the bottom of the fifth and two in the sixth. Back-to-back home runs from Laura Anderson (East Haven, Conn.) and Daysia Wehder (Queens, N.Y.), sparked the fifth-inning rally and two runs came home in the sixth thanks to another two-run homer from Anderson.

The Lasers (2-10 overall, 1- 1 GNAC) are slated to play their first home games of the season this week, hosting GNAC doubleheaders against Simmons College on Wednesday, April 4, Saint Joseph's College (Maine) on Friday, April 6, and Emmanuel College on Saturday, April. 7.  The Falcons (12-5 overall, 5-1 GNAC) return to action with four doubleheaders next week, beginning Monday against Mt. St. Vincent.

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