Easton, Mass. (April 21) -- After sweeping Stonehill College earlier this season by scores of 5-3 and 18-10, the Assumption College softball team (18-15, 10-10 NE-10) dropped a doubleheader on the road to the Skyhawks, 3-0 and 1-0.

With the losses, the Hounds are now 9-9 in the Northeast Division, still fourth, while the Skyhawks are 9-6 and sit in third. Stonehill improves to 16-12 overall, 10-6 NE-10 with the win.

Game One: Stonehill 3, Assumption 1

Freshman pitcher Kendal Roy (Grafton, Mass. / Grafton) logged all six innings for the Hounds in game one, suffering her first loss in six games to break her five-win streak. Roy gave up just seven hits in game one, two of which were solo home runs, to account for two of Stonehill's three. Roy also added two strikeouts to her season total, now a team-high 42, and drops to 10-6 on the season. 

Three Hounds went down in a row in the top of the first, followed by a one-out, solo homer off the bat of Megan Staudle in the bottom of the frame to give Stonehill a 1-0 advantage.

Both squads' defenses held up, preventing either team from gaining a significant lead, until a second solo home run with one out, this time from Stonehill's Megan Ruonavaara, put the Skyhawks ahead 2-0 in the bottom of the fourth.

In the bottom of the sixth, Stonehill notched one more on an RBI single to right field for the ultimate 3-0 final.

The Hounds battled in the top of the seventh, with one out, senior Jess DiPilato (Worcester, Mass. / Holy Name) hit a single down the left field line and was followed by reining NE-10 Player of the Week Ashley Abad (Bedford, N.H. / Bedford) with another single to right field. DiPilato advanced all the way to third on the play following a Skyhawk error in right field. 

With DiPilato in scoring position, the Skyhawks managed to tally the second and third outs to close the game. 

DiPilato and Abad, who each rank in the top five of the NE-10 in batting average and RBI, helped lead the Hounds with one hit apiece, both in the final inning, while junior Kayli Moniz (Fairhaven, Mass. / Fairhaven) also notched a hit of her own for the three-hit total for the Hounds.

Stats were fairly even for both teams in game one. Both squads tallied two strikeouts, left four runners on base and committed two errors.

Game Two: Stonehill 1, Assumption 0

Junior Jess Underwood (Hudson, N.H. / Alvirne) pitched four innings for the Hounds in game two, allowing just one run on five hits. Underwood also added a strikeout to increase her season total to 37. She was relieved by sophomore Courtney Oliva (Vernon, Conn. / Rockville) in the bottom of the fifth who finished out the final two innings, allowing just two hits.

Underwood takes the loss for the Hounds and falls to 4-7 on the season.

The Hounds threatened in the top of the first, loading the bases on an Abad, two-out single to first. With Abad on first, DiPilato on second and senior Ashley Impagliazzo (Glocester, R.I. / LaSalle Academy) on third, the Skyhawk defense made the easy play at third on a fielder's choice to work out of the inning.

The Hounds tallied five hits in game two, two of which were in the first inning.

Stonehill did not gain the edge until the bottom of the fourth when an RBI single to center field by Taylor Lester put the Skyhawks up 1-0 for the final score.

Assumption was close to scoring on a couple of occasions, including in the top of the fourth, when DiPilato led of with a double down the right line. An Abad groundout advanced DiPilato to third before two-straight outs left her stranded in scoring position. 

Five Hounds accounted for Assumption's hits in game two including Impagliazzo, DiPilato, Abad, sophomore Ashley Clark (Pawtucket, RI / Tolman) and freshman Stephanie Menard (Cranston, R.I. / Cranston HS West). 

The Hounds are slated to wrap up the regular season at home on Friday and Saturday, April 24-25, for a three-game series against Saint Michael's. Assumption is scheduled to play the Purple Knights at Marois field on Friday at 4 p.m. for the Hounds' "Operation Hat Trick" game, followed by a senior day doubleheader on Saturday at 12 p.m.

For the latest on Assumption College Athletics follow the Hounds via social media on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. For more information, contact the Office of Athletic Communications at 508-767-7240.