Clermont, Fla. (March 5) -- On day three of the NTC Spring Games, the Assumption College softball team dropped a 7-6 final to Wayne State College (Neb.) and a 4-0 final to Grand Valley State University. Both games were played at the National Training Center.

Wayne State loaded the bases in the top of the first inning with one out and had an opportunity to take the early lead. An inning-ending double play kept the game scoreless though as senior Melissa Jalbert (Gardner, Mass./Gardner) caught a line out in left and threw the runner out at the plate to preserve the 0-0 game. The Wildcats got on the board though with four runs in the top of the fourth and took the 4-0 lead heading into the bottom of that inning.

The Hounds answered in the bottom of the fourth though as they loaded the bases with one out and sophomore Ashley Impagliazzo (Glocester, R.I./LaSalle Academy) at the plate. After a fielder's choice scored one run, sophomore catcher Andrea Crowley (Norfolk, Mass./Ursuline Academy) drew an RBI walk and junior Paige Licata (Revere, Mass./Revere) drove in two to tie the game at 4-4 after four innings.

Freshman Jess Underwood (Hudson, N.H./Alvirne) made her first career start and went the first four innings in her third appearance of the season before giving way to junior Jenn Lattal (Windsor, Conn./Windsor) to begin the fifth. The Wildcats put up three runs in the inning, none of which were earned, and jumped back in front by a 7-4 margin.

Assumption got one back in the bottom of the fifth though as junior Tanya Robidoux (Hooksett, N.H./Manchester Central) and Jalbert led off with back-to-back doubles to cut the lead down to 7-5. The Hounds kept up the pressure in the sixth and closed to within one on a two-out RBI by Robidoux that scored freshman shortstop Kayli Moniz (Fairhaven, Conn./Fairhaven) to make it a 7-6 margin. After a quiet top of the seventh, the Hounds brought the heart of their order up in the bottom of the inning and got two runners on with back-to-back singles from senior Lauren Medeiros (Seekonk, Mass./Seekonk) and sophomore Jess DiPilato (Worcester, Mass./Holy Name). Assumption couldn't get the tying run across though as a strikeout, a foul out to the catcher and a fielder's choice groundout to second ended the game.

Lattal fell to 1-2 overall on the season as she went three innings and scattered six hits on three unearned runs to pick up the loss. Sara Scheffert picked up the win for the Wildcats to improve to 1-2 on the season, while Kelcie Bormann earned her second save.

Robidoux was 3-for-4 with two runs scored in the game, along with two hits each for Jalbert and Medeiros.

In the second game, the Hounds ran into the hot pitching of Sara Andraski as she led Grand Valley to the 4-0 victory behind a 12-strikeout one-hitter as she allowed just four base runners in seven innings. Lattal got the start for the Hounds again as she went the distance while giving up four runs, with three earned, on six hits for Assumption. Crowley got the lone hit for Assumption in the fifth as she singled to center. Nellie Kosola, the leadoff batter for Grand Valley, did most of the damage as she was 3-for-3 with two runs in the game.

Lattal took the loss in the game and fell to 1-3 on the season despite giving up just five earned runs over her first 24 innings pitched of the season.

Assumption now sits at 1-5 overall, while Wayne State is 3-2 and Grand Valley State improves to 5-1.

Assumption is back in action on Thursday, March 7th as the Hounds take on regional-foe Georgian Court University at 1 p.m., followed by a 3 p.m. matchup with Young Harris College.  The 1 p.m. game will be played on Field 4 at the National Training Center, followed by the 3 p.m. matchup on Field 5.

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