THE BASICS:

-Score Game 1: Assumption 3, SW Minnesota State 4 

-Score Game 2: Assumption 11, Urbana 3 (5 Innings)

-Records: Assumption (3-7); SW Minnesota State (4-11); Urbana (1-6)

-Location: Clermont, Fla. (Legends Way Fields)

-The Lead: After falling in a close 4-3 contest in the bottom of the seventh inning against SW Minnesota State on Friday afternoon, the Assumption College softball team claimed an 11-3, 5-inning victory over Urbana to close the evening. Senior Christina Caira (Newton, Mass. / Newton North) blasted her first home run of the season in the second game for three RBI.

HOW IT HAPPENED - GAME 1 vs. SW Minnesota State

-The Mustangs scored first in the bottom of the fourth inning. Sam Flack crossed the plate after reaching base on an infield pop up, despite an attempted diving play from junior Ashley Abad (Bedford, N.H. / Bedford). Flack advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt before scoring on a single through the left side.

-In the top of the fifth, the Hounds rallied for three runs on five hits. Assumption led off with back-to-back singles off the bats of sophomore Nicole Duplease (Leominster, Mass. / Leominster) and junior Cassie Schultz (Amesbury, Mass. / Amesbury). Freshman Julia Mazzeo (Milford, N.H. / Milford) stepped to the plate and came through with a well-placed bunt to sacrifice herself and move Duplease and Schultz into scoring position with just one out.

-Freshman Caitlin Mirabell (Shoreham, N.Y. / Shoreham-Wading River) followed with a two-RBI single to score both Duplease and Schultz and take the lead 2-1. 

-Another pair of back-to-back singles from senior Kayli Moniz (Fairhaven, Mass. / Fairhaven) and sophomore Stephanie Menard (Cranston, R.I. / Cranston HS West) scored Mirabell to make it 3-1 Hounds.

-The Mustangs tied it up 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth when Karmann Carroll led off with a single, moved on a sacrifice bunt and scored after a failed attempt to catch a runner stealing at second. One more scored on an RBI single before a pop up to third ended the inning.

-The teams remained tied throughout the game until the bottom of the seventh. The Mustangs led off the half inning with a double to left-center field. Following the strike, junior Courtney Oliva (Vernon, Conn. / Rockville) was replaced by senior Jess Underwood (Hudson, N.H. / Alvirne) in the circle to attempt to prevent the run from scoring. A sacrifice bunt advanced the runner to third before a single to left field scored the game-winning run to end the game in a walk off.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS - GAME 1 vs. SW Minnesota State

-The Mustangs outhit the Hounds 11-8 in game one. Assumption's hitters were led by Menard and Duplease who each posted two.

-Mirabell tallied two RBI in the contest, the most of any player on the field.

-Oliva takes the loss for the Hounds after allowing the winning run to reach base. She drops to 0-2 on the season after pitching 6.0 innings while allowing just four earned runs.

-Athena Golling earns the win for the Mustangs to improve to 2-3 on the season after pitching 2.1 innings and allowing just one hit.

HOW IT HAPPENED - GAME 2 vs. Urbana 

-The Hounds got out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when a single up the middle from Duplease scored Mirabell, who had walked.

-In the bottom of the second, Assumption increased its lead to 3-0 when junior Ashley Clark (Pawtucket, R.I. / William E. Tolman) and Caira crossed the plate. The pair reached base on well-place bunts and scored on a sacrifice fly from Schultz and a forced pickle situation initiated by Moniz.

-In the bottom of the third, Caira smashed a two-out, three-run homer deep past the center field fence to make it 7-0 Hounds. Caira plated Abad, who singled, Menard who doubled and Clark who walked.

-Urbana responded in the top of the fourth with a three-run inning to make it 7-3, Hounds on back-to-back doubles and a single through the right side.

-Assumption made it 8-3 in the bottom of the fourth when Moniz scored after reaching first off an Urbana error.

-The Hounds clinched the victory with a three-run bottom of the fifth inning. Three straight singles from Duplease, Clark and Caira quickly loaded the bases. Duplease scored on a passed ball before freshman Victoria Petrie (Marlborough, Mass. / Marlborough) entered the game as a pinch hitter and belted a two-run double to win the game.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS - GAME 2 vs. Urbana

-Caira went 3-for-3 at the plate in game two, scoring three runs and adding three RBI to lead the Assumption offense.

-Clark went 2-for-3 with three runs while Duplease and Menard also posted two hits and scored once each. 

-Assumption notched 11 hits compared to just four for Urbana and also left just one runner stranded on base, compared to three for Urbana.

-Sophomore Kendal Roy (Grafton, Mass. / Grafton) pitched all five innings for the Hounds allowing just four hits and three runs while striking out five batters. She improves to 3-2 with the win.

-Urbana's Courtney Stewart takes the loss as she falls to 1-4 overall. She allowed six hits and five runs on the day.

BEHIND THE BOX SCORES:

-Abad registered a walk in each game on the day and now totals a lofty 10 for the season. 

-The Hounds totaled 19 hits in the doubleheader which is the most of any day so far this season.

-Caira's home run marks the first of career.

-The Hounds have lost six of the seven games they have dropped this season by two runs or less. 

-Five strikeouts ties Roy's single-game best in her career, which she racked up on March 3, 2015 against Concordia.

UP NEXT:

-The Hounds complete their 12-game stint in Florida tomorrow, March 12 as they face Pace and Lock Haven at 9 and 11 a.m.

STAY CONNECTED:

-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. 

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