WESTON, Mass. – Regis College Softball kicked off their four-game home stretch with a dominant performance against cross-town rival Lasell University, securing a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) sweep with back-to-back wins, 9-1 and 9-6. The victories improved the Pride's record to 8-12 overall and 2-4 in GNAC play.

Mel Rees (Middleborough, Mass.) shined at the plate, going 4-for-7 with a double and four RBIs, while Bianca Burke (Cambridge, Mass.) and Lynsey Kay (Bellingham, Mass.) each posted a 4-for-8 performance, tallying a double and driving in four and three runs, respectively. Chloe Beland (Southborough, Mass.) rounded out the offensive effort, going 3-for-6 with three RBIs.

On the mound, Gabriella Blanchard (North Haven, Conn.) dominated in game one, pitching a complete game and allowing no earned runs to secure the victory. In game two, Katie Julian (Mendon, Mass.) took the circle for 4.2 innings, striking out four batters to earn the win, while Blanchard came in to lock down the save.

Game One:

• The Pride's offense came out strong as Kay's double drove in Burke for the game's first run, followed by a towering home run from Lexi Nichols (Granby, Conn.) over the left-center fence to give her team a 3-0 lead. The Lasers took advantage of an error in the bottom of the first to get on the board.
• The Pride tacked on single runs in the second and third innings, with Burke and Abby Erikson (Worcester, Mass.) each delivering RBI hits to extend the lead to 5-1.
• They continued to build momentum in the fourth, adding four more runs, including two off the bat of Rees, pushing the score to 9-1. Rees then sealed the victory by turning a double play in the bottom of the inning, securing the 9-1 win for the Pride.

Game Two:

• After a 1-1 stalemate through two innings, Beland's double in the third drove in a run, and she later scored on a throwing error, giving the Pride a 3-1 lead.
• An inning later, Burke delivered an RBI double, and Beland continued her strong performance at the plate with a single to bring Burke home. She later crossed the plate herself, extending the Pride's advantage to 7-1.
• The Lasers responded in the bottom of the fourth and fifth, plating five runs, highlighted by a triple from Katie Hopkins.
• The Pride answered with two insurance runs off the bats of Beland and Rees. Blanchard then took the mound in the bottom of the seventh and, with the bases loaded, turned a clutch double play before a diving stop by Grace Motto (Wareham, Mass.) secured the final out, sealing a 9-6 victory and a series sweep over the Lasers.

Inside the Numbers:

• Lexi Nichols crushed her second home run of the season with a two-run shot in game one.
• Sydney Grund (Hamden, Conn.) delivered her best performance at the plate this season in game two, going 2-for-4 with a double.
• The Pride's sweep marked their first over the Lasers in more than 15 years.

Up Next:

The Pride are back on the Regis Softball diamond tomorrow when they welcome the Blue Jays from the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) for a GNAC double header at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.