New Haven, Conn. (May 4) -- In the opening game of the NCAA East Regional, the No. 8 seeded Assumption softball team dropped a hard-fought 1-0 final to top-seeded and No. 18 nationally-ranked Southern Connecticut on Friday afternoon. The start of the game was delayed three hours from its original start time due to wet field conditions from thunderstorms overnight.

In the second inning, the Owls got runners to second and third with no outs before senior pitcher Jennifer Lowrey (Assonet, Mass./Apponequet) struck out the next batters to nearly get out of the inning. Shawna Mallory capitalized on the opportunity though as she blooped a hit to shallow left for the lone run of the game.

In the seventh inning, the Hounds had two runners on with no outs and eventually loaded the bases, but were unable to push across the tying run. Assumption nearly tied it with one swing as sophomore Nikki Boris (Gardner, Mass./Gardner) lined a leadoff double off the top of the left field wall for one of just three AC hits in the game.

Lowrey scattered five hits with six strikeouts and one walk, surpassing the 700-strikeout plateau for her career as she fell to 18-9 on the season. Jayme Larson gave up just three hits in the shutout victory for the Owls, improving to 21-3 overall.

With the loss, the Hounds fall to 33-17 overall, while Southern Connecticut improves to 38-10 with the victory.

Assumption drops into the loser's bracket and will play next on Saturday, May 5 at 1:30 p.m. against the loser of the No. 4 Caldwell/No. 5 UMass Lowell game in an elimination game.