Newton, Mass- Rivier College, at seventh in the GNAC standings,
beat the no. 6 Lasell College Lasers 8-1 on Taylor Field Thursday
afternoon and moved onto the GNAC tournament quarter finals.
Rivier went ahead in the first after Brenna Campbell
(Nashua, NH) got a base hit through the right side then
scored as Jess Barth (Uxbridge, Mass.) hit a
RBI-double into the center field gap. Jenna Beadle
(Rumney, NH) then sent Barth home with a single up the
middle to earn the RBI. Jess Mellen (Rockland,
Mass.) got on with two outs, but Talia DeChairia
(Kingston, Mass.) made the defensive play in the field to get the
third out at first leaving two on.
Kelly Barden (Quincy, Mass.) got things started with two outs in
the first for Lasell. She smacked a hard hit to a right
center field hole, but the Lasers ended the inning without a run.
Barth hit a line drive through the middle to get on base in the
third. Kirsten Mammola (North Reading, Mass.) struck out the
second batter to get Lasell's first out, but Mellen got her bat on
an RBI single line drive through to center field to up the score to
3-0.
With bases loaded and one out, Heather Rose (West Roxbury,
Mass.) made a smart fielding decision sending the ball to Kelly
Silvia (Oaks Bluff, Mass.) behind the plate to get the Rivier
runner out at home. The Lasers third out was a fly out to
DeChairia at third.
Rivier had a 1-2-3 half inning to end the bottom of the third.
Monica White (Augusta, ME) doubled through the
bags, then advanced on a passed ball to enter scoring position in
the following inning. White scored to get the fourth Raider
run.
Barden started off the second half of the fourth with her second
hit to center field on the first pitch out. Jackie Saluti
(Braintree, Mass.) and Ashley Laramie (Lynn, Mass.) followed suit
with a knock to left center and a grounder past the Rivier
shortstop, loading the bases.
DeChairia's fielders choice was cut off at home as Amanda
Ryan (W. Bridgewater, Mass.) sent the first base grounder
home to Beadle getting the out. White struck out her final
two batters to end the inning.
Lasell made three quick outs in the fifth, including another
strike out by Mammola. Michelle Torres (Waltham, Mass.) then
got a hit in the fifth but the Lasers stayed scoreless.
A two run homer in the sixth by Campbell over the right field
fence left Lasell in a 6 run deficit, and Rivier scored twice more
in the seventh.
Lasell's senior center fielder Tiffany Perla (Westminster,
Mass.) scored in the bottom of the seventh to give Lasell their
first run. After walking to get on base, Perla was brought in
on a sac fly by Torres. The Raiders sealed the game with
their third out and advances on to the quarterfinals after their
8-1 win.
Campbell's two hit, two run, three RBI game led Rivier to
victory. Barth, Beadle, and Mellen each had two hits apiece as
well. White struck out seven en route to the victory.
The Raiders are now 17-14, while the Lasers finish their 2009
season at 21-19. Rivier will travel to St. Joseph's Me. on Friday,
April 24th to play Suffolk in the next round of the
double-elimination tournament
