Easton, Mass. (April 10) -- The Assumption softball team moved into a four-way tie for first place in the Northeast-10 standings as the Greyhounds swept Stonehill on Sunday afternoon to run its win streak to four straight games. The Greyhounds took game one by a 9-3 final before earning the sweep with a 5-4 victory in game two.
In game one, the Greyhounds got all nine of their runs thanks to four home runs. Sophomore Lauren Medeiros (Seekonk, Mass./Seekonk) got things started with a two-run homer in the first, followed by a three-run blast from freshman center fielder Tanya Robidoux (Hooksett, N.H./Manchester Central) for a 5-0 lead in the second. Assumption completed its scoring in the fourth on a leadoff solo shot from freshman Nicole Boris (Gardner, Mass./Gardner), along with a two-out, three-run homer from Medeiros, her second home run of the game. The Skyhawks put up solo homers in the fourth and fifth, along with an unearned run in the seventh, to account for the 9-3 final.
In addition to the offensive outburst, Greyhound junior pitcher Jennifer Lowrey (Assonet, Mass./Apponequet) struck out a career-high 16 batters, the second-highest single-game total in Assumption history. She scattered five hits over seven innings, allowing two earned runs to improve to 3-5 on the season. Nicole Schneider got chased after three innings for Stonehill, allowing six runs and dropping to 2-3 overall.
In the game, Medeiros was 2-for-4 with two home runs, two runs scored and five runs batted in. Robidoux had a three-RBI showing, along with a 2-for-4 game from Boris with two runs scored and one run batted in.
Assumption jumped on top in the first inning of game two as well as Medeiros posted an RBI double to score sophomore Melissa Jalbert (Gardner, Mass./Gardner) for the 1-0 lead. Stonehill answered right back though in the bottom of the inning, tying the game on an RBI single from Jocelynne Morrell. Senior Marissa Palumbo (Worcester, Mass./Holy Name) gave the Greyhounds the lead for good in the top of the third on a two-RBI double that scored Medeiros and Jalbert with unearned runs.
Stonehill chased Assumption starting pitcher Casey Halajian (Quincy, Mass./Archbishop Williams) in the third with the game at 3-2 in favor of the Greyhounds after an RBI single by Katy Aybarr. In relief came junior pitcher Chelsea Durso (Salem, N.H./Salem), who went 4.1 innings and allowed just three hits to improve to 8-3 on the season. The Greyhounds added to their lead in the top of the seventh on a two-RBI double from senior Amy Gordon (Seekonk, Mass./Bishop Feehan), two runs that proved to be the game-winning play. Stonehill scored twice on two hits in the bottom of the seventh before the Greyhounds and Durso got the Skyhawks to ground out to the pitcher to end the game. Kellie Reardon took the loss for the Skyhawks, going 5.1 innings and allowing 10 hits to fall to 0-2 overall.
Medeiros capped off a five-hit day with a 3-for-3 showing with two runs scored and one RBI in game two. Palumbo and Gordon also had a pair of hits, along with two RBI in game two.
Assumption is now 13-10 overall and 7-3 in the Northeast-10, while the Skyhawks fall to 10-18 overall and 6-6 in league play. The Greyhounds are back in action on Tuesday, April 12th as the team hosts Pace University for a home doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.
