Farmville, VA - The Iona College Softball team opened up the Lancer Spring Invitational
against the host Longwood in less than spring-like conditions. The
Gaels (0-5) took the early lead, but the Lancers (5-4) drew even the
following inning before putting up three unanswered late for the 4-1
win. Iona fell to UMBC 4-3 in a weather shortened game.
Iona got on the scoreboard in their first trip to the plate as rookie Jaclyn Quinn dropped a one-out double into right centerfield. Two batters later, tri-captain Melanie Gettins got the Gaels' second extra-base hit of the inning with a triple pushing Quinn across to make it 1-0 Iona.
The Maroon & Gold looked to extend the lead in the top of the second as Alyssa James singled and was pushed to second on a ground-out. After a Melanie Hay single, James tried for home, but was thrown out 6-3-2.
The Lancers responded with back-to-back hits to start the bottom of the second and got an RBI groundout to tie the score at 1. The teams combined to strand five runners of the next three and half innings before Longwood took control of the game. The Lancers used small ball and an error to break the deadlock in the bottom of the sixth inning. Three runs came across the plate on three hits and an error and that was all Longwood needed to take a 4-1 win.
Quinn finished the game 1-for-3 with a hit, a run scored, two putouts and three infield assists. Gettins also finished 1-for-3 with the RBI and three putouts. Deanne Algeo got the start for Iona and tossed three innings allowing just one run, earned, on four hits, and walk. Sarah Jackson came on and threw two scoreless innings before allowing three runs, two earned on three hits, a walk and three Ks. Longwood's Briana Wells pitched a complete game allowing an earned run on five hits a walk and six strikeouts.
Heavy rain suspended play in the Gaels'
afternoon game against UMBC, The Gaels took an early lead, but the Retreivers added three in the bottom of the first inning. Iona climbed back and tied the game at three with two runs in the top of the fourth inning. As the weather continued to grow worse, UMBC took the lead with a run in the home half inning and when the game was called, the Retrievers took the win 4-3 in five innings. More details to follow about this game. With the poor weather, the rest of the Lancer Spring Invitational was canceled and the games will not be made up.
"The weather was fair for both teams," said Head Coach Jaime Wohlbach said about the second game. "We don't want to play in cold and
rain and in that situation, a little bit of leadership comes through."
Speaking about the youth of her team, coach Wohlbach said that the change of the weather when the team travels to Florida for the Rebel Spring Games will certainly help her tweak the lineup. "We have 15 kids on our roster and we are very fortunate to have many who can play different positions. Florida will help us see where they gel the best." Wohlbach continued saying that the game down in the Florida provide "the best training we get in terms of weather and the amount of games. Most our kids are used to the tournaments, six to ten games a weekend. The ten games we'll play at the Rebel Spring Games gets us more playing time under our belts and gets us the things we can't get at home at this time of year."
The Gaels head to kissimmee for the Rebel Spring Games beginning March 15.
