Worcester, Mass. (April 24) -- On a blustery afternoon on Friday, the Assumption College softball team rallied back from an early 5-2 deficit to take a 13-6 win over conference rival Saint Michael's at Marois Field. With the win, the Hounds improve to 19-15 overall and 11-9 in the NE-10, while the loss drops the Purple Knights to 2-27 overall and 2-17 in the conference. 

The Hounds 3-4-5 hitters powered the team to victory as seniors Jess DiPilato (Worcester, Mass./ Holy Name) and Ashley Impagliazzo (Glocester, R.I./ LaSalle Academy) and sophomore Ashley Abad (Bedford N.H./ Bedford) combined to go 9-for-12 at the plate with seven doubles, a home run, seven runs scored, and seven runs batted in. 

The Purple Knights got off to a hot start against the Hounds, taking a 4-0 lead after the top of the first inning. The Purple Knights got on the board after Judi Barcavage poked a single into left field to plate two runners. Then the ensuing batter, Danielle Barbato, hit a two-run blast to left field to give the Purple Knights a 4-0 lead heading to the bottom of the first inning after four unearned runs. 

The Hounds cut the deficit with a two-out rally in the bottom of the first as Impagliazzo started the rally off with a double down the left field line. DiPilato then stepped to the plate and blasted a two-run home run to left field, her third of the season, to cut the Purple Knights lead to 4-2. 

The Purple Knights bounced back and extended their lead in the top of the second when Christina Brazeau hit a solo shot to left field making the score 5-3. 

The bats came alive for the Hounds in the bottom of the third inning as they exploded for six runs. Freshman Stephanie Menard (Cranston R.I./ Cranston HS West) started things off as she reached on a walk, followed by an Impagliazzo single to second and an RBI double off the fence in left center to scored Menard on the play. Abad tied the game with a double of her own, knocking one off the centerfield wall to score both Impagliazzo and DiPilato to tie the game at 5-5.

The game wouldn't remain tied for long though as the next batter, junior Kayli Moniz (Fairhaven, Mass./ Leominster), hit a two-run home run to left center to stake the Hounds to a 7-5 lead. Menard scored the final run of the inning from third base after the catcher tried to catch sophomore Cassie Schultz (Amesbury, Mass./ Amesbury) stealing second base. 

The Hounds found more offense in the bottom of the fourth inning after Impagliazzo reached base on a two-out double and came home on an Abad single to right center for the 9-5 lead. After the Purple Knights scored a single run in the top of the fifth, the Hounds answered with a four-run sixth to account for the eventual 13-6 final margin. In the sixth, DiPilato hammered her second double of the game to start the scoring binge and later scored. Senior Andrea Crowley (Norfolk, Mass./Ursuline Academy) closed out the scoring with a two-run homer to left center as the Hounds won game one of the weekend three-game series with Saint Michael's.

Sophomore Courtney Oliva (Vernon, Conn./Rockville) picked up the win for the Hounds, allowing two runs in six innings of relief as she improved to 3-1 with the win. For Saint Michael's, Danielle Brown went the distance as she dropped to 2-23 on the season.

Impagliazzo, DiPilato and Abad all had three hits each to pace the Hounds offense as five players in total posted multiple hits.

The Hounds return to action tomorrow at Marois Field for a Senior Day doubleheader against the Purple Knights with the first game starting at Noon.

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