Kissimmee, FL - The Iona College Softball team traveled to Kissimmee, Florida for the second year to participate in the Rebel Spring Games.  The Gaels (1-7) opened up with a 7-2 victory over Florida A&M Sunday morning.  Later in the day, Iona fell by the same tally to South Dakota for a split on the opening day.

In the opener against the Rattlers (6-18), the Gaels got on the scoreboard in the third inning with a two-out rally.  After lead-off hit by Melanie Hay and a bunt base-hit by Rachelle Harris, Jaclyn Quinn successfully laid down a sacrifice bunt to put runners in scoring position at second and third.  Two batters later, Melanie Gettins drew a walk to load the bases for Kayla O'Neill.  O'Neill drilled one to the wall in right field and plated two for a 2 RBI single.  An error on the right fielder allowed Gettins to come all the way around from first to score and make it 3-0 Iona and found O'Neill standing on second.  The next batter, Sarah Jackson, reached on an error by the second baseman and O'Neill came across to make it 4-0 for the Maroon & Gold.

The four run inning provided enough cushion for Jackson, who got the start.  She tossed five scoreless innings to start the game and allowed just one hit, two walks and struck out nine including striking out the side in the third inning.  Florida A&M cracked the scoreboard in the sixth inning with two runs on three hits to pull within a pair at 4-2.  The Gaels put the game out of reach as after a one-out walk by Quinn and single off the bat of Erin Kyle to start the seventh, Gettins parked her first homerun of the season and gave Iona the 7-2 win. 

Jackson pitched a complete game and allowed just two earned on four hits, three walks and season-best 11 strikeouts.  Gettins finished 1-for-2 with 2 runs and two walks to go along with her 3 RBI day.  Kyle and Harris each finished 2-for-4 with a run scored.

In the afternoon game, the Coyotes (13-4) struck first with a pair of runs off a hit and two errors.  Two innings later, South Dakota broke the game open with four runs on four hits and an error to take a 6-0 advantage.  With another tally in the fourth inning, it was 7-0 Coyotes and that was all the runs they would need as starter Cortney Heim held the Iona bats in check as she allowed three hits over the first five innings.

The Gaels broke through on the scoreboard in the fifth inning and Chelsea Sheehen picked up her first collegiate homerun and made it 7-1 South Dakota.  The Maroon & Gold tried to stage a late-game rally in their final trip to the plate as Courtney Christie, Deanne Algeo and Kassondra Silva put together three straight hits and loaded the bases.  After a double-play, Harris picked her up first collegiate RBI as she drove in Christie to make it 7-2, but the Gaels could draw no closer and took a split for the day.

Algeo finished 2-for-3 and Christie and Sheehen each went 1-for-2.  Algeo took the loss with six runs, none earned, five hits, a walk and a strikeout.  Heim tossed a complete game with two earned on eight hits and six strikeouts for the win.

The Gaels continue their trip on Monday, March 16 with pair of contests beginning at 3:00 pm against local rival Wagner.  Iona will face another local team in Fairleigh Dickinson at 5:00 pm.