WENHAM, Mass.—A run in the top of the second inning was all Lasell needed to take down Gordon in non-conference baseball action on Thursday afternoon. The two teams combined to strand 16 runners on base as Lasell took home a 1-0 result over the Fighting Scots in Gordon's 2017 home debut.
Hits were not a rarity throughout the nine-inning contest, but knocks in big moments came at a premium. Gordon put together a two-out rally in the bottom of the first with a double by Dean Demers (Sandy Hook, Conn.) and a walk taken by Chris Leavitt (E. Bridgewater, Mass.). However, Lasell starter Casey Johnson (Windsor, Conn.) got a groundout to end the threat.
Lasell fired off a two-out rally of their own in the top of the second. Brandon Valentin (Meriden, Conn.) walked with one out before advancing three bases on a double down the line for Jesse Tejero (West Haven, Conn.). The junior came into the game with just two knocks, both doubles and delivered again for what ended up being the game-winning RBI.
Gordon left two runners on base again in the third again with Demers and Leavitt reaching safely. The Scots offense went quiet from there until the late stages of the contest.
The Lasers looked poised to add to their lead in their half of the eighth inning. Valentin reached safely on a fielder's choice, which recorded the second out before stealing second on the next pitch. Brett Sherron (Howard Beach, N.Y.) hit a scorcher in front of Addison Tarr (Oxnard, Calif.) in center, ushering Valentin toward the plate. Gordon's junior outfield commander had other ideas, one-hopping a laser beam to the plate, where Jon Sensi (Bordentown, N.J.) laid waiting to cut down the runner at the dish.
A last bit of drama unfolded in the final half inning for the Fighting Scots. Alec Willey (San Diego, Calif.) led off the inning with a solid knock to the gap in right before advancing to second on a wild pitch. Christian Hodge (Waltham, Mass.) pushed Willey even deeper into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, placing only one out on the scoreboard. In a suicide squeeze play, Daniel Quint (Wells, Maine) laid down a bunt between the pitcher and first baseman, but the runner did not advance on the play.
Lasell reliever Daniel Petr (East Haven, Conn.) closed out the final out to record the save, leaving a runner at third.
Skylar Beckerman (Pensacola, Fla.), Evan Michalek (Berlin, Conn.) and Tejero combined for six of Lasell's eight hits. Johnson earned his second win of the season in seven innings.
Hodge paced the Gordon offense with a third of the squad's six hits. It marked the first time Gordon was unable to put a run on the board during the 2017 season.
The Fighting Scots (3-8) are supposed to head to Springfield on Saturday for the Commonwealth Coast Conference opening doubleheader with Western New England, weather pending. Lasell (4-7) is schedule to host Rivier in its conference opener on the same day at noon.
