Manchester, N.H. (April 18) -- The Assumption College softball team moves into fourth place in NE-10 standings on Saturday after a split with second-ranked, division foe Saint Anselm. Freshman Kendal Roy (Grafton, Mass. / Grafton) notched her second shutout of the season in game one, 3-0, before the Hounds dropped game two 8-2.

With the split, the Hounds are now 17-12 on the season, 9-8 in the NE-10, and 8-8 in the Northeast Division. The Hawks are second in the conference with a 9-4 divisional record and a 17-6 overall record.

Game One: Assumption 3, Saint Anselm 0

In Roy's second shutout of the season, the freshman tallied four strikeouts while allowing just six hits. With the win, she improves to 9-5 on the season.

After two scoreless innings, the Hounds took the lead and scored all three runs, in the top of the third. Sophomore Ashley Clark (Pawtucket, RI / Tolman) led off with a single to right field and scored on a sac fly off the bat of sophomore Ashley Abad (Bedford, N.H. / Bedford), 1-0.

A single to right from freshman Stephanie Menard (Cranston, R.I. / Cranston HS West) scored senior Jess DiPilato (Worcester, Mass. / Holy Name), who reached on a fielder's choice, before stealing second to put herself in scoring position.

Menard took second on a Hawk error in right field with two outs and scored as senior Andrea Crowley (Norfolk, Mass. / Ursuline Academy) took first on a left-field error for the 3-0 final.

Six Hounds registered hits on the day including Clark, Menard, junior Kayli Moniz (Fairhaven, Mass. / Fairhaven), senior Ashley Impagliazzo (Glocester, R.I. / LaSalle Academy) and sophomores Cassie Schultz (Amesbury, Mass. / Amesbury) and Cassidy Colby (Charlton, Mass. / Shepherd Hill).

Saint Anselm also tallied six hits in game one.


Game Two: Saint Anselm 8, Assumption 2

Sophomore Courtney Oliva (Vernon, Conn. / Rockville) started game two for the Hounds. She held the Hawks scoreless for three innings before allowing four runs in the bottom of the fourth. Oliva registered four runs on seven hits, just two of which were earned, before Roy entered the game in relief.

Roy logged 1.2 innings to allow four more hits and two runs before junior Jess Underwood (Hudson, N.H. / Alvirne) entered in the sixth to close the game for the Hounds. Underwood pitched 1.0 innings, allowing two runs on two hits in the sixth including one home run.

Oliva takes the loss for the Hounds and is now 2-1 on the season.

After three scoreless innings to kick off game two, the Hounds took the lead in the top of the fourth when, with one out, Abad blasted a double to center, followed by a pop up to short from Crowley. During the play, Abad scored from third on a first-baseman error to make it 1-0.

The Hawks responded in the bottom of the fourth with three-straight hits to lead off the inning, capped by an RBI single down the left line, 1-1. With one out, Michaela Criscione doubled to left center to score two, followed by a fourth run on a wild pitch with two outs to give Saint Anselm a commanding 4-1 lead. 

The Hawks held Assumption in the top of the fifth and proceded to add two more in the frame before the Hounds narrowed the gap to four, 6-2, in the top of the sixth. 

Impagliazzo led off the sixth for the Hounds, smacking a double, her fourth of the season, to left. After two-straight groundouts, Menard sent a single through the left side to score Impagliazzo. 
The senior's run would be the last for the Hounds as Saint Anselm notched two more in the bottom of the frame for the eventual 8-2 final.

Moniz helped lead the Hound offense, going 3-for-4 at the plate, while Menard notched two hits in three at bats, tallying one RBI.

Assumption posted eight hits in game two compared to 13 for Saint Anselm. Both squads posted two errors and left six runners stranded on base.

The Hounds are scheduled to return to action tomorrow in part two of back-to-back doubleheaders at Saint Anselm. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m.

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