NEWTON, Mass. - The Lesley University softball team traveled to Newton, Massachusetts to face off against GNAC opponent Lasell College but lost 5-4 in the seventh inning on a walk-off solo home run by the Lasers.  Lesley drops to 5-6 (2-0 NECC) while Lasell improved to 11-8 (4-0 GNAC).

Heather Lynch (Warwick, R.I.) unloaded on an Alicia Burnett (Gulf Breeze, Fla.) pitch to deep left field in the bottom of the seventh inning to break a 4-4 tie and won the game for the Lasers.  It was her only hit of the game, but the senior was able to win the game in dramatic fashion for Lasell.

Lasell looked to take an early advantage on Lesley as the Lasers jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.  After an unassisted double play by Lynx second baseman Christina DiGiorgio (Lowell, Mass.), the Lasers were able to get their bats going.  Jacqueline Saluti (Braintree, Mass.) singled to left field and then scored on an RBI double by Kelly Barden (Quincy, Mass.) to right.  Barden would be the next Laser to cross the plate after another a second consecutive double by Ashley Laramie (Lynn, Mass.).  Michelle Torres (Waltham, Mass.) finished off the scoring in the inning by driving in Laramie with an RBI single up the middle.

Lesley wasted no time evening out the score with Lasell by scoring three runs of their own in the top half of the second inning.  Alyson Durben (Stow, Mass.) hit a sharp single through the left side of the infield and Georgia Saltzman (Lynn, Mass.) doubled to left field to put runners on second and third with no outs.  After a pop out from the next batter, DiGiorgio reached on a fielder's choice to score Durben and advance Saltzman to third base.  After a strikeout, leadoff batter Lani Cabral-Pini (Wilmington, Mass.) hustled down the first base line on a groundball and reached on an error by the first baseman.  With the error, Saltzman and DiGiorgio would score to tie the game up at 3-3. 

The game would remain tied until the top of the fourth inning when Cabral-Pini drove in DiGiorgio on a single over the third baseman's head.  DiGiorgio had reached on a solid single to center field and Jenna Fralick (Woburn, Mass.) followed with a double down the left field line. 

Lasell scored their fourth run of the game in the bottom half of the fifth inning after a couple of errors by the Lynx allowed Lasell senior Heather Rose (West Roxbury, Mass.) to cross the plate.

The Lynx went down quietly in the top of the seventh allowing for Lynch's walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh.

For the game, Lesley's Cabral-Pini went 2-for-3 with three runs batted in and DiGiorgio scored twice and drove in a run in the game. 

Lesley heads back on the road on Thursday, April 2 for a NECC doubleheader against Newbury College starting at 3:30 pm.  Lasell travels to Suffolk University for two games on Friday, April 3.

To learn more about the Lesley University softball team, please visit their website.

Contact:          Rob Palardy
                        Sports Information Director
                        Lesley University
                        617.349.8627 (office)
                        617.349.8640 (fax)
                        rpalardy@lesley.edu