THE BASICS

Score: Assumption 6, Ashland 5 (Game One)/ Assumption 3, Lewis University 2 (Game Two)

Records Game One: Assumption (1-0), Ashland (3-2)

Records Game Two: Assumption (2-0), Lewis University (4-6)

Location: Leesburg, Fla. (Sleepy Hollow Recreation Complex)

The Lead: The Assumption College softball team earned a perfect 2-0 start to their 2018 season after beating Ashland 6-5, and Lewis 3-2 on Sunday afternoon in the Spring Games College Softball Tournament hosted in Lake County, Florida.

GAME ONE

HOW IT HAPPENED

- Ashland took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Paige Summers hit a two-run homer. The Hounds quickly answered in the top of the second, scoring five runs. A pair of singles put junior Julia Mazzeo (Milford, N.H. / Milford) and senior Nicole Duplease (Leominster, Mass. / Leominster) on first and second, while junior Victoria Petrie (Marlborough, Mass. / Marlborough) hit a single to right field to score Mazzeo and cut the deficit to 2-1.

- At her first at bat, freshman Abigail Duggan (West Roxbury, Mass. / Mount Alvernia High School) was walked to load the bases, and freshman Brooke Murphy (Salem, N.H. / Salem High School) singled to left field to drive in Duplease and tie the game 2-2. Assumption added three more runs in the inning to extend the lead to 5-2 as sophomore Kayla Peabody (Mendon, Mass. / Nipmuc Regional High School) hit a two-run double, and Murphy scored on a fielder's choice.

- The game remained 5-2 till the bottom of the fifth when Ashland tallied three runs to tie it 5-5. With Katie Mitchell on first, Erika Farst tripled, and then scored off a single from Camille Pollutro to come within one. Pollutro eventually scored on a defensive error by Assumption. The inning was ended as freshman Alyssa Beaton (Smithfield, R.I. / Smithfield High School­) grabbed a line drive at shortstop to hold on to the 5-5 tie.  

- In the top of the seventh, Petrie got hit by a pitch and sophomore Ally Hinojosa (Revere, Mass / Revere High School) was substituted as a pinch runner. Duggan laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Hinojosa to second and after two defensive errors by the Eagles, Hinojosa advanced home to take back the lead at 6-5. Senior pitcher Kendal Roy (Grafton, Mass./Grafton) took the complete game win by retiring the next three Eagle batters.

GAME TWO

HOW IT HAPPENED

- The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth when senior Stephanie Menard (Cranston, R.I. / Cranston HS West) hit a solo home run for a 1-0 advantage.

- In the fifth, after Beaton singled, Menard drove her in to extend the lead to 2-0. In the sixth Haley Drakoulakos (Lowell, Mass. / Lowell High School) doubled and Petrie drove in pinch runner Hinojosa for the eventual winning run.

- The Hounds defense, led by freshman Mia Nowicki (Chelsea, Mass. / St. Marys Lynn) held the Flyers without a run until the top of the seventh. With the bases loaded, Kaylee Prieto singled to score Rylie Poretto. Cierra Taylor followed with a single to drive in Emily Guske to come within one, but on the play Mazzeo picked off Prieto from center field at the plate, and then Murphy tagged Cassie Shaw in a run down at second to get the last out and end the game 3-2 in favor of the Hounds.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

- In game one, Roy pitched 7.0 innings in the win, recording six strikeouts facing 29 batters. Peabody led the offense with two RBI, while Petrie, Beaton, and Murphy each drove in one.

- In game two, Nowicki won her first collegiate appearance, tossing 7.0 innings recording three strikeouts against 32 batters. Menard hit her first homer of the season and added an RBI, while Petrie picked up her second RBI of the day.

UP NEXT

- Tomorrow, March 5, the Hounds are back to face Winona State at 2 pm and Cedarville at 7 pm.  

STAY CONNECTED

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