Buffalo, NY - The Iona College softball team hoped to come out of its weekend in
western New York with a "W" on Sunday with a doubleheader against
Canisius. The Griffs (21-10, 3-3 MAAC) scored three in the third and held on for a
4-2 win in game one. The Gaels (8-23, 2-4 MAAC) scored first in game
two, but Canisius outscored Iona 8-2 in the next three innings on the
way to a 11-3 win.
Both teams' starters, Iona's Becky Riccitelli and Canisius' Juliette Bowers, kept the scoreboard empty as they combined to allow just four hits through the first two innings. The Gaels cracked the scoreboard first as 2B Paige Cauley doubled down the left field line and was brought home on C Melanie Gettins RBI single grounded up the middle. The Griffs responded in the home half with three runs on three hits to take a 3-1 lead, one they would not relinquish.
Iona had its best chance to tie or go ahead in the game in the fourth inning. 1B Lolli Mills led-off with a walk followed by LF Courtney Christie reaching on a fielder's choice and SS Amanda Glaser drawing a walk to load the bases. The Maroon & Gold pulled with one run as Mills touched home on a sacrifice fly by RF Laura Hackimer and it was 3-2. The Gaels again loaded the bases as Cauley drew a walk, but couldn't push any runs across. Canisius added a run late to hold on for a 4-2 win. Riccitelli pitched a complete game with seven hits, four runs, three earned, two walks and a strikeout. Gettins went 2-for-4 in the opener and Cauley was 1-for-2 with a hit, a walk and a run scored.
In the second game, Iona again scored first thanks to Gettins. Gettins drew a one-out walk in the first and came around to score from second base on a Riccitelli RBI double. Canisius tied the score up in the bottom of the first and added three more on three hits their next trip to the plate to take a 4-1 lead. Iona cut the lead down to one for the second straight game as Riccitelli picked up her third RBI of the game in just her second at-bat with a 2-run homer with Mills aboard. She finished 2-for-3 with three RBI to push her team-leading total to 19 RBI on the season. Cansius didn't let the Gaels hang around and padded the lead with four runs on four hits to take a 8-3 lead on its way to a 11-3 victory.
Iona returns to the field and home to Rice Oval on Thursday, April 17 for a non-conference doubleheader against Stony Brook. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 3:00 pm.
