WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Lesley University opened up their season in Winter Haven, Fla. this morning as part of the annual Dot Richardson Spring Games where the Lynx split a doubleheader, falling 6-0 to Anderson University (Ind.) before topping the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts 10-7 in the second game of the day.
Game One: Lesley 0, Anderson 6
Ravens starter Rachel Fiscus stifled the Lesley bats as she allowed just two hits over five innings before giving way to reliever Erika Beeler who supplied two no-hit innings of relief to secure the win for Anderson.
The Ravens offense got going early as they used five hits and took advantage of three Lynx errors before pushing four runs across the plate to stake a 4-0 edge.
The Lynx threatened in the top of the third as they loaded the bases with just one out. Fiscus got herself out of the jam, however, as she recorded back-to-back strikeouts to escape the inning unscathed.
Anderson would add one run in each of the third and fourth innings before rolling to the 6-0 victory.
Lesley junior Selena Quezada (West Covina, Calif.) and freshman Jillian Sbardella (Dartmouth, Mass.) both recorded hits for the Lynx on the day.
Game two: MCLA 7, Lesley 10
The bats that could not find a rhythm in game one finally came around in game two of the day as they racked up 10 runs on 13 hits.
After falling behind 1-0 due to an RBi triple by MCLA's Rachel Quakenbush in the top of the third, the Lynx offense exploded for nine runs in the bottom of the inning.
Sophomore Carlyn Barker (Temecula, Calif.) got the rally started with a leadoff double before coming around immediately on an RBI single by Quezada. Quezada then came all the way around from first on a double by freshman Courtney Goggin (Cheshire, Conn.). Sophomore Mekenzi Golden (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) kept the string of hits going as she laced an RBI single to put the Lynx up 3-1.
After an MCLA pitching change, Lesley's offensive onslaught continued as freshman Kerry Flaherty (Woburn, Mass.) knocked in a pair of runs with a single before Barker launched a two RBI base knock of her own. Quezada and Goggin capped the rally as they each recorded another RBI single to extend Lesley's lead to 9-1.
The Trailblazers would not go quietly as they used a five run fifth inning to pull within three runs but that's as close as they would come as the Lynx held on for the 10-7 victory.
The top-third of Lesley's lineup provided most of the punch for the Lynx as Barker, Quezada, and Goggin combined to go 8-for-11 with six RBI, four runs scored, and one sacrifice. Golden finished 2-for-4 with a run scored while freshman Theresa Pereira (Hopedale, Mass.) went a perfect 2-for-2 at the dish while scoring two runs.
Sbardella went the distance for the Lynx, allowing just three earned runs while recording one strikeout as she earned the first win of her career.
Lesley returns to action tomorrow as they will square off with Keene State College at 9:00a and two-time defending National Champion Tufts University at 11:00a. Both game will be played at the National Training Center.