New Rochelle, NY - The Iona College Softball team completed its MAAC double-header weekend against Canisius. The Griffs scored the only runs in game one and got dominant pitching. The Gaels, though, used 12 hits and two homeruns in game two for a 8-6 win and the double-header split.
The Griffs (19-18,7-2 MAAC) took the lead in the top of third as after a Rachelle Barrientos single, Cameron Norton doubled to make it 1-0. After a ground out move Norton to third, Paige Freiberger plated Norton on a RBI single to centerfield and it was 2-0 Canisius.
That was all the run support that Canisius starter Mallory Aldred needed as she went the distance with just five hits allowed, one walk and 12 strikeouts. Sarah Jackson settled down after the third and pitched a complete game with eight hits, two earned runs, a walk and three Ks. The Gaels (10-19, 2-6 MAAC) had their chances on several occassions, but couldn't push any runs across. Each team stranded seven runners.
In game two, the Iona bats came alive. After a scoreless first inning, Courtney Christie started the second off with a single up the middle. With pinch-runner Tierney Markou on first, starting pitcher Deanne Algeo laid down a sacrifice bunt and Markou was safe as the third baseman's throw was offline. Jaclyn Quinn excuted a sacrifice bunt of her own and advanced the runners into scoring position. Melanie Hay grounded the ball in the infield that couldn't be handle and as she reached on a fielder's choice, she picked up an RBI as Markou scored. The next batter, Rachelle Harris, broke the game open as on a 0-1 pitch, she drilled a 3-run shot to left-field and Iona led it 4-0. Two batters later, Kayla O'Neill blooped a single just into right field and Melanie Gettins followed that up with a hard-hit RBI double to right-center to make it 5-0.
Canisius got on the scoreboard two innings later as after a two-out walk, the Griffs used back-to-back doubles to plate a pair and pull within three runs at 5-2. The Gaels bats continued to pound Canisius pitching in the home half of the fourth. Erin Kyle had a one-out single and found her way to second on a stolen base. Gettins picked up her second RBI on the afternoon with her second double, this one was a ground-rule, as she plated Kyle. Allyssa James wasted no time scoring Gettins as she drilled a towering homerun to right-center and Iona led 8-2. The Griffs again tried to rally in the sixth inning. Lauren Hope ripped an inside-the-park homerun that caught Kyle playing too shallow in centerfield and allowed Lizzy Gatto to score to make it 8-4.
Algeo went 6.1 innings with five hits, five runs, all earned, four walks and strikeout. She came out of the game in the top of the 7th after Canisius got a solo homerun to pull within three. Jackson came on in relief, but Canisius used a infield single and back-to-back Iona errors to plate another run to make it 8-6. Jackson, though, settled her team down by enducing a pop out and ground out to end the game and secure the victory. Jackson picked up her first save of the season while Juliette Bowers took the loss for the Griffs as she allowed five runs, four earned, on five hits and a walk over two innings of work. Gettins went 3-for-4 with her two RBIs and a run scored and James and Christie each were 2-for-3.
Iona steps out of conference and back on to Rice Oval on Tuesday, April 21 as they take on local rival Columbia. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 3:00 pm.
