New Rochelle, NY - Pitching and the long ball were the story as the Iona College softball team swept St. Peter's in a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. 3B Jess Horvath drilled a solo shot and P Becky Riccitelli fanned 11 batters as Iona walked off 3-2 in the opener. A three-run homer by 2B Paige Cauley pushed the Gaels' to a 7-1 win and the sweep.

Neither team could crack the scoreboard through the first three innings as Riccitelli struck five and allowed just one hit and stranded three. Peahens' starter Tricia Reingle allowed three hits and stranded five to keep the game scoreless. After Riccitelli set down St. Peter's in order the fourth, the Gaels (11-30, 5-7 MAAC) got her some run support. Cauley, who went 2-for-4, led-off with a single and stole second. Two batters later, SS Amanda Glaser flied one deep into left and sacrificed Cauley home to make it 1-0 Iona.

The Peahens (5-35, 5-9 MAAC) responded in the top of the fifth with two runs on three hits to claim a 2-1 lead, its only lead of the afternoon. The Gaels got the run back on Horvath's bullet to left and tied the game at 2-2. The scored remained tied through the top of the ninth as both pitchers again were pitching lights-out.

In the bottom of the ninth, LF Christie singled and was successfully sacrificed to second on a great bunt by RF Laura Hackimer. After a Glaser single to center that put runners on the corners, CF Erin Kyle, who went 2-for-5, dropped one between the left-fielder and third to give the Gaels a walk-off win, 3-2. Riccitelli pitched 8.2 with just five hits and two earned to add to her 11 strikeouts in the victory.

In game two, starter Katie Jo Passero picked up where Riccitelli left off. Passero threw a complete game and allowed just one run, unearned, on four hits and struck out five. Iona got on the scoreboard first as Christie led-off the third with a single and was again beautifully sacrificed over by Hackimer. After a ground out pushed her to third, Kyle came through with another RBI single to left and it was 1-0 Iona.

The Gaels broke the game wide open in the bottom of the fourth. After back-to-back walks by C Mel Gettins and Horvath, 1B Lolli Mills reached on a fielder's choice as and an error on the second baseman saw Gettins score and Horvath advance to third. Two batters later, Cauley smoked one over the fence in left for 3-run homer and it was all Iona, 5-0. The Maroon & Gold added run in the fifth as Kyle scored on a Mills ground out and a run in the sixth on Glaser RBI double that plated Christie. Glaser was 2-for-3, Kyle went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI and Christie was 3-for-3 with two runs scored.

The Gaels return to the field tomorrow, April 27, with a doubleheader against local MAAC rival Rider. Tomorrow will also be Senior Day as Head Coach Jamie Woholbach honors the program's four seniors: Becky Riccitelli, Katie Jo Passero, Amanda Glaser and Lolli Mills. The ceremony will take place between the games. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 pm at Rice Oval.