Baseball Splits GNAC Doubleheader at Lasell on Saturday

GAME ONE | LASELL 6, USJ 5

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Blue Jays jumped on the board early in the top of the first inning. Senior outfielder Ryan Quinn lined an RBI single to left field, scoring senior infielder JJ Fox (Killingworth, Conn.) to give USJ a 1–0 lead. Moments later, senior infielder Ryan Shaw (Ellington, Conn.) followed with an RBI single of his own to bring home Quinn and extend the advantage to 2–0.
• Lasell answered in the bottom of the inning, scoring three runs to take a 3–2 lead.
• The Lasers added to their advantage in the second when Declan Silva launched a three‑run home run to push the lead to 6–2.
• USJ began to rally in the third as Quinn continued his strong day at the plate, blasting a two‑run home run to right‑center field to cut the deficit to 6–4.
• Senior outfielder Dom Scalia (Northford, Conn.) added a solo home run in the fifth — his team‑leading fifth of the season — to bring the Blue Jays within one, but the comeback bid fell short as Lasell held on for the 6–5 win.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Quinn led the offense with three hits, three RBI, and two runs scored.
• Shaw added a multi‑hit performance and drove in one run.

GAME TWO | USJ 18, LASELL 6

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Lasell struck first in the second inning, erupting for five runs to take an early 5–0 lead.
• USJ responded emphatically in the third as freshman infielder Sam Balducci (South Windsor, Conn.) launched a grand slam — the first home run of his collegiate career — to cut the deficit to 5–4.
• The Blue Jays evened the score in the fourth when sophomore infielder Jack Kane (West Hartford, Conn.) lined an RBI single to center field, scoring Fox to make it 5–5.
• USJ took the lead in the fifth as junior outfielder Joseph Fritz (Tampa, Fla.) delivered a two‑run double to right field, plating Shaw and Balducci to give the Blue Jays a 7–5 advantage.
• The Blue Jays continued to pull away in the seventh inning. After sophomore catcher Jack Kushman (Southington, Conn.) scored on a passed ball, Kane followed with a two‑run double to extend the lead to 10–5.
• USJ broke the game open in the eighth, plating five runs highlighted by RBI singles from Fritz and junior infielder Tyler Carlstrom (Rocky Hill, Conn.), along with a towering opposite‑field three‑run home run from Fox to make it 15–5.
• Lasell added a run in the bottom of the eighth, but the Blue Jays answered right back as Balducci crushed his second home run of the game — a two‑run shot — to push the lead to 17–6. Fritz later added a sacrifice fly to cap the scoring and secure the 18–6 victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Fox and Kane led the offensive surge with four hits apiece.
• Quinn, Balducci, Shaw, Carlstrom, and Fritz each recorded multi‑hit performances.
• Balducci drove in a team‑high six RBI.
• Junior pitcher Ethan Slowik (Greenville, N.Y.) earned the win to improve to 2–1, allowing five runs on seven hits while striking out four over five innings.
• Freshman pitchers Keith Haecker (Pleasantville, N.Y.) and Sawyer Gravel (Southington, Conn.) combined for three scoreless innings in relief to secure the split.

UP NEXT

The Blue Jays return to action on Sunday, April 12, traveling to Standish, Maine, for a GNAC doubleheader against Saint Joseph's College of Maine. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m., with game two to follow at approximately 2:30 p.m.

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