Lasell Baseball to Face Suffolk, JWU Draws SJC When GNAC Tourney Double-Elimination Begins Thursday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Third-seeded Lasell College outslugged sixth-seeded Albertus Magnus College, 18-12, in an all-night affair and fourth-seeded Johnson & Wales University walked off, 7-6, over fifth-seeded Norwich University in the do-or-die first round of the GNAC Baseball Tournament on Tuesday evening. 

Both teams advance into the double-elimination portion of the tournament, which will get underway on Thursday at the top-two seeds before play shifts to Holman Stadium in Nashua, N.H. on Saturday and Sunday.

JWU will be at No. 1 seed Saint Joseph's College of Maine Thursday afternoon at 3:30 PM, while second-seeded Suffolk welcomes Lasell at 7:00 PM. The two losing teams will play an elimination game Saturday morning at Holman. 

#4 JWU 7, #5 NORWICH 6
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Ivan Reyes drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Johnson & Wales University baseball team a 7-6 victory over Norwich in the opening round of the GNAC Tournament.

Records:
Norwich: 12-24
Johnson & Wales: 21-17 

Statistical Leaders:
Dave Matthews (JWU): 2-3, 1 R, 1 RBI
Chris Baldwin (JWU): 1-2, 2 R
Andrew Fisher (NOR): 3-4, 1 RBI
LaShawn Thomas (NOR): 3-5, 2 R, 1 RBI

Of Note:
Down to its last at-bat, shortstop Lou Umberto (Cranston, RI) – who turned a key double play in the top of the ninth – drew a leadoff walk then moved up to second on a single. He scored the tying run on a Ryan Cabral (Scituate, RI) RBI single. Armani Henderson (Johnston, RI) was intentionally walked then Reyes (Cranston, RI) drew the free pass from Norwich reliever Billy Whaley with the winning run.

The Cadets pounded out three hits in the top of the first off JWU starter James Smiegocki (Lambertville, NJ), including a single by Andrew Fisher to score LaShawn Thomas. Fisher and Thomas each had a game-high three hits.

JWU took a 2-1 lead in the second without a hit. Norwich starter Kyle Farquharson walked the bases loaded then issued free passes to Dave Matthews (Newtown, Conn.) and Umberto to plate a pair of runs.

Matt Sirois capped a three-run fourth inning with a two-run single that gave the Cadets the lead back, 4-3.

JWU regained the lead in the sixth on a pair of Norwich miscues. Catcher Chris Baldwin (Pawtucket, RI) doubled down the right field line, moved up to third on a passed ball then scored on a wild pitch.

Courtesy of JWU Athletics Communications.

#3 LASELL 18, #6 ALBERTUS MAGNUS 12
BROCKTON, Mass. – The Lasell College baseball team went back and forth with Albertus Magnus through the first several innings of Tuesday night's Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) single-elimination playoff contest, but a five-run sixth inning propelled the third-seeded Lasers to an 18-12 win at Campanelli Stadium.

The Lasers ― who honored seniors Hector Coscione (Newton, Mass.), Casey Johnson (Windsor, Conn.), Brandon Valentin (Meriden, Conn.), and Matt Haskell (Wallingford, Conn.) prior to the game ― improve to 15-14 on the season with the victory and advance to face No. 2 Suffolk in the first game of the GNAC double-elimination round on Thursday, May 4 at 7:00 p.m. The Falcons conclude the season with a 10-21-1 mark.

Lasell banged out 19 hits in the contest, their second-highest total of the season. Every member of the starting lineup recorded at least one, including graduate right fielder Skylar Beckerman (Pensacola, Fla.) who went 4-for-5 with a double, two home runs, four runs scored and five RBI to lead the way.

Additionally, junior designated hitter Jesse Tejero (West Haven, Conn.) went 3-for-5, scored two runs and drove in another, while shortstop Coscione hit a grand slam as part of a four-run sixth inning that put Lasell ahead for good.

Haskell relieved Johnson on the mound and earned his second victory of the season, striking out two while allowing three earned runs on six hits in 3.2 innings. Freshman Patrick Colvin (Lenoxdale, Mass.), Coscione, and sophomore Justin Webb (San Diego, Calif.) allowed just one run on two hits over the final three innings of relief.

The Falcons scored in each of their first six turns at the plate, but Lasell responded with at least three of its own in four different frames.

After the Falcons took a 1-0 lead on freshman third baseman Matt Warren's (Wolcott, Conn.) two-out single, Valentin started the Lasers' rally with a one-out single up the middle and scored as Beckerman doubled into the right-center gap. The Lasers added two more runs before inning's end as sophomore second baseman David Marsell (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) and catcher Robert Cutone (Tewksbury, Mass.) notched back-to-back hits.

Lasell answered a tying, two-run double from Albertus sophomore center fielder Tyriq Harris (Waterbury, Conn.) with four runs in the second as Beckerman launched his first home run to right field four batters before Cutone laced a two-run single inside the left field line for his second hit in as many innings.

Junior second baseman Roberto Garcia (Bridgeport, Conn.) capped off a four-run third inning for Albertus with a two-run single, while the Falcons took the lead on a sacrifice fly and an RBI grounder over the next two frames.

Lasell scored three times in its half of the third as Tejero and sophomore center fielder Evan Michalek (Berlin, Conn.) opened the frame with back-to-back triples before Michalek scored on Beckerman's two-out homer.

The top half of the sixth inning saw Albertus score twice more on senior first baseman Andrew Scully's (Stratford, Conn.) GNAC-leading 10th home run of the season and another run-scoring single. All the scoring in Lasell's five-run, four-hit bottom half came on two plays, as Tejero singled up the middle and came around on Coscione's grand slam to deep left.

Albertus managed one final run on Warren's two-out triple in the eighth, but the Lasers responded with three as Beckerman and sophomore third baseman Andre Marchesseault (Cheshire, Conn.) each hit doubles in a three-batter span.

The Falcons managed 16 hits in the loss, with Warren going 5-for-5, scoring twice and driving in two more runs. Senior starter Dan Zarnik (Hamden, Conn.) lasted two innings and allowed seven runs on eight hits, while freshman Jay Palais (Farmington, Conn.) was charged with the loss.

Courtesy of Lasell Athletics Communications.

First Round - Tuesday, May 2 (single elimination)
Game 1: #3 Lasell 18, #6 Albertus Magnus 12 | BOX
Game 2: #4 JWU 7, #5 Norwich 6 | BOX

Second Round - Thursday, May 4 (double-elim begins)
Game 3: #3 Lasell at #2 Suffolk - 7:00 PM
Game 4: #4 JWU at #1 Saint Joseph's of Maine - 3:30 PM

Semifinals - Saturday, May 6 (Hosted by Rivier at Holman Stadium) 
Game 5: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser (elim game)
Game 6: Game 3 winner vs Game 4 winner
Game 7: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 loser (elim game) 

Championship - Sunday, May 7 (Hosted by Rivier at Holman Stadium) 
Game 8: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner 
Game 9: if necessary

Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 12 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 17 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement. 

– #TheGNAC –