Clermont, Fla. (March 7) -- The Assumption College softball team completed its Florida spring break trip 8-4 following Saturday's split, kicked off by a 7-3 victory over Indiana, Pa. and capped by a close 3-2 loss to Kutztown. Junior Kayli Moniz (Fairhaven, Mass. / Fairhaven) went 4-for-8 on the day including a single, two doubles and a triple.

Eight wins is the most the Hounds have ever returned with from Florida under Head Coach Ralph DeLucia. 

Game 1: Assumption 7 vs. Indiana, Pa. 3

Junior Jess Underwood (Hudson, N.H. / Alvirne) claims her third win of the season over IUP (0-3) with the victory. Underwood pitched four innings giving up eight hits and just one earned run while striking out one. Underwood was relieved in the bottom of the fifth by sophomore Courtney Oliva (Vernon, Conn. / Rockville), who allowed just one hit while notching one strikeout. 

Underwood currently ranks third in the Northeast-10 Conference in wins (three) and in strikeouts (17). Underwood also averages 5.41 strikeouts per game and posts an ERA of 2.59 to date.

In the bottom of the first inning, the Crimson Hawks got on the board first when lead-off batter Hannah Mercer, who doubled, scored on a hard single to right field by Stefanie McCoy.

In the top of the second with two outs, junior Christina Caira (Newton, Mass. / Newton North) lifted the Hounds to a 2-1 lead with a two-run double deep to the center field fence. Caira scored freshman Stephanie Menard (Cranston, R.I. / Cranston HS West), who singled down the left line, as well as senior Andrea Crowley (Norfolk, Mass. / Ursuline Academy), who reached on a fielder's choice.

IUP responded in the bottom of the frame with another run to tie the score at two apiece. Rachel Francis led off with a single through the left side and advanced on a walk and a sacrifice bunt, before scoring on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Mercer.

The Hounds increased their lead to two in the top of the third. With two outs, senior Jess DiPilato (Worcester, Mass. / Holy Name) drilled a single to right before Moniz followed with a double to left center to put both runners in scoring position. Sophomore Ashley Abad (Bedford, N.H. / Bedford) also doubled to left-center field to drive them across the plate for the 4-2 advantage.

In the bottom of the fourth, IUP was able to reduce the Assumption lead to just one after the Hounds tried to catch a Crimson Hawk stealing second. The runner on third scored on an overthrow to tighten the score, 4-3.

Assumption pushed its lead to four in the top of the fifth, notching three more runs with just one out. Senior Ashley Impagliazzo (Glocester, R.I. / LaSalle Academy) doubled, followed by a hard-hit grounder from DiPilato to second. The Crimson Hawk second baseman overthrew first, advancing DiPilato to second and scoring Impagliazzo for a 5-3 lead.

Moniz followed with her second double of the day to drive in DiPilato for a 6-3 advantage before Menard ripped a single through the left side to drive in Moniz for the ultimate 7-3 final.

Moniz led the Hounds in game one, going 2-for-4 with one RBI and two runs. Also performing well at the plate were Abad, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI and Menard who hit twice on four at bats with one RBI and one run. Caira also drove in two RBI.

The Hounds tallied 10 hits, compared to nine for IUP. IUP edged Assumption in fielding percentage, however, posting just one error to the Hounds' two.

Four Greyhounds doubled in game one including two from Moniz and one each from Impagliazzo, Abad and Caira.

Game 2: Kutztown 3 vs. Assumption 2

In similar fashion to game one, Kutztown scored first against the Hounds after its lead-off batter, Blayse Cholish, sent a single to right field. With two runners on base and one out, Colleen Smith flied out to Greyhound centerfielder Ashley Clark (Pawtucket, RI / Tolman) to score Cholish for the 1-0 advantage.

In the top of the second, the Bears added one more when a single to left field brought in Casey Charterina, who reached on a walk.

The Hounds tied it up in the bottom of the third, Moniz led off with a triple to right field for her third extra-base hit of the day. Clark followed up with a single down the right line to score Moniz and reduce the deficit to just one. 

Clark advanced on a first-baseman error and stole third before scoring on a DiPilato sacrifice fly for a 2-2 tie.

The Bears recaptured the lead in the top of the fifth when, with one out, a single to right center field drove in Marissa Linquist, who doubled. The Hounds were unable to rebound and ultimately fell by a score of 3-2.

Freshman Kendal Roy (Grafton, Mass. / Grafton) takes the loss for Assumption. The first-year Greyhound pitched all seven innings, allowing just six hits and three runs, while striking out two batters. With the loss, Roy's record falls to 2-2 on the season.

Clark went 3-for-4 with one RBI and one run to lead the Hound offense in game two.

Assumption out-hit Kutztown 8-6 overall while registering just one error to the Bears' two.

The Greyhounds are scheduled to travel to Bentley on Wednesday, March 18, for a doubleheader set to begin at 3 p.m.

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