QUEENS, NY - The Iona College softball team was defeated on the road in non-conference action Wednesday afternoon. Aided by a walk off base hit, St. John's was able to outlast the Gaels 4-3.

The Gaels and Red Storm traded scoreless innings for the first two frames. In the bottom of the third, St. John's was able to break through for a run. A leadoff triple was followed by a run scoring single and the home team was ahead 1-0. Two more hits followed in the inning and junior Alyssa Maiese was summoned from the Iona bench to relieve starter Deanne Algeo. Maiese quickly got the final three outs to keep the deficit at one.

The following inning, the Red Storm picked up two more runs on a home run and an RBI groundout to go ahead 3-0.

The Iona bats were silenced until the fifth. Junior LF Erin Kyle led off with a walk. Junior C Melanie Gettins followed with a single. With two out, junior 2B Tessa Earley home Kyle with Iona's first run. 

In the sixth, Iona picked up a pair of runs. Freshman SS Marisa Newman led off with a single and was pinch run for by freshman Cari Anderson. Freshman CF Jodi Petersen followed with a walk to put two runners on. A wild pitch moved each runner up to scoring position. With the RBI chance waiting for her, Kyle delivered with a two out double to knot the game at three apiece.

In the seventh, a lead off double by St. John's Amber Curry was followed by a run scoring single from Kacee Cox. Curry scored the winning run and the Red Storm prevailed by the final of 4-3.

Maiese (6-10) took the loss for Iona, allowing three runs in four innings. Kat Lawrence (11-9) went the distance for St. John's, allowing three runs and five hits in seven innings.

The Gaels, now 22-19 overall, travel this weekend upstate to take on Niagara (Sat. 12:00 pm) and Canisius (Sun. 12:00 pm) in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference matchups.