Riverdale, NY - The Iona College softball team headed down the road to Gaelic Park for a MAAC doubleheader against Manhattan. The Gaels took the opener 5-2 as starter Becky Riccitelli struck out 10, but were edged 2-1 in game two.

Riccitelli allowed just four hits, struck out a game-high 10, her second highest single game total of the season, and surrendered no walks in a complete-game. The Gaels' (9-24,3-5 MAAC) bats responded to the performance of Riccitelli in the top of the third inning. RF Laura Hackimer led-off with a double and moved to third on a groundout. 2B Paige Cauley put Iona on the scoreboard with a RBI single and the next batter, CF Erin Kyle, drilled a pitch over the left-field fence for a 2-run homerun and it was 3-0 Iona.

In the fifth inning, after a Cauley single, C Mel Gettins reached on a error by the pitcher and Riccitelli helped her own cause dropping a RBI single into right-center. With runners on the corners, Christie reached on the second error of the inning and Gettins came across to make it 5-0 Iona. The Jaspers (7-24, 2-7 MAAC) got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth with a pair, but couldn't get any closer as Riccitelli pitched a 1-2-3 seventh to give Iona the opener win, 5-2. Kyle and Riccitelli each went 2-for-4, and Cauley went 3-for-3 with two-runs scored and an RBI.

In the second game, Iona took lead thanks to aggressive base-running. Kyle drew a led-off walk, stole second and was pushed to third on Gettins' sacrifice bunt. Christie played Kyle with a RBI single and it was 1-0. P Katie Jo Passero was in control for much of the game with just three hits through four innings, a 1-2-3 inning in the second, and got help from her defense in the fourth, who turned a 6-3-5 double-play. The Jaspers took the lead the in the bottom of the fifth with two runs on three hits, but Passero left the bases-loaded to end the inning. The Gaels picked up one more hit, but couldn't plate a run as they were edged by Manhattan, 2-1. P Amanda Berard came on in relief and threw two innings with one hits, three walks and two strikeouts.

Iona is back on the field on tomorrow, Sunday, April 20, as they face Marist for a doubleheader at Rice Oval. First pitch is at 1:00 pm.