GARDEN CITY, N.Y. – Sophomore Summer Sheerin (Bridgewater, Mass.) hit a walk-off home run, which was also the first time she went yard as a collegian, in the bottom of the eighth inning to help the Assumption University softball team salvage a split of a twinbill against Adelphi on Sunday afternoon. The Panthers won the opener, 7-2, before the Greyhounds rallied to win the nightcap by a 4-3 decision in extra innings to end the weekend on a high note.

Game One: Adelphi 7, Assumption 2

Assumption, which was designated as the home team for both games of the doubleheader, quickly jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first of the opener. Fresh off being named the Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Week, freshman Makenzie Bruggeman laced a two-run single into right field. The Greyhounds threatened to add to their lead by loading the bases, but Panther hurler Claire Fon got out of the major jam by registering her first strikeout of the game.

Adelphi, however, answered back with three runs in the top of the third. After Courtney Wengryn hit an RBI single up the middle, cleanup batter Alexa Sacripante smacked a two-run triple to give the Panthers a 3-2 lead.

With Fon comfortably settling in, the Panthers loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the fourth. A sacrifice fly to straightaway center by Ziara Shreter allowed the designated visitors to double their lead, and Wengryn broke it open by knocking the ball down the left field line for her third of four hits in the game to score two more. Adelphi finished with four runs in the frame to take a commanding 7-2 advantage, which was more than enough insurance to earn the win.

Fon picked up the win for Adelphi by going the distance in the circle and improving her record to 10-3. She struck out seven, issued only one walk, allowed five hits, and yielded two runs which were both earned. Senior Erin Barry (Braintree, Mass.) took the loss for Assumption and dropped to 6-6 for giving up nine hits and seven runs, which were all earned, and striking out three in four innings of work.

Game Two: Assumption 4, Adelphi 3 (8 Innings)

Adelphi (22-8, NE10 9-1) registered two hits in the top of the second inning to build up an early 1-0 advantage. Faith Camilleri would drive in the only run the Panthers would need with reigning NFCA National Pitcher of the Week Lindsey Hibbs taking control of the circle.

Freshman Anna Tassone (Gardner, Mass.) was also impressive in the circle for the Greyhounds, creating a true pitcher's duel for much of the game, until the Panthers started to pull away in the top of the fifth. Jaden Farhat belted an RBI double to right center that scored Shreter, who reached on an error, and then came home on another Greyhound miscue to make it 3-0.

Assumption didn't go away quietly and was able to chip away at the deficit beginning in the bottom of the fifth. Sheerin singled to Hibbs to get the offense going and then came home on a long single to left by freshman Allyson Wargo (Watertown, N.Y.). Alicia Habib (Haverhill, Mass.), another freshman, singled up the middle to keep the inning alive, but an interference call stopped the Greyhounds short of continuing a comeback.

After Assumption escaped the sixth by catching Murphy attempting to steal, the team plated two more runs to tie the game at 3-3 in the bottom half of the same frame. Sophomore Corin Mahan (Abington, Mass.) doubled to left center, to score junior Jordan Dwyer (Covington, R.I.), who led off the frame with a single, and then came home on a Sheerin single to right field. Hibbs, meanwhile, momentarily got chased out of the game.

The game eventually headed to extra innings, as both teams failed to score in the seventh. Despite allowing two batters to reach base, Tassone got out of trouble by striking out Sophia Cicchetti and then inducing a flyout to Habib in right field.

Assumption then came up with the rare opportunity to walk off on the Panthers' home field, and it was Sheerin who came through. After Hibbs retired the first two Greyhounds, Sheerin took a 1-1 pitch over the fence in left center. In addition to ending the game, the sophomore's first home run as a collegian put a stunning halt to the Panthers' 11-game winning streak and kept the team in the hunt for a postseason berth.

Tassone picked up her first win as a collegian in the circle for Assumption after striking out six and yielding seven hits and three runs, including just one earned, in eight innings of work. Hibbs, who entered the game having not allowed a run in more than 24 innings of work for Adelphi, suffered the loss and fell to 12-4 overall despite striking out a career-high 14 over two appearances that totaled seven innings. She gave up six hits and four runs that were all earned.

Assumption (7-18, NE10 4-4) remains on the road to next face Stonehill for a twinbill on Tuesday afternoon beginning at 2 p.m.