BALTIMORE, MD - The Iona College softball team began play at the Retriver Classic Saturday at UMBC with a pair of losses. In game one, the Gaels rally from an early deficit against Princeton before falling by one run, 7-6. In game two, the Gaels fell to Mount Saint Mary's by a score of 4-3.
In game one against the Tigers, the Gaels found themselves in an early hole. After Princeton cracked the scoreboard in the third inning, the Tigers picked up another four in the fourth on a grand slam from Tory Roberts off Iona starter
Sarah Jackson.
Princeton put two more runners on in the fifth before Jackson was relieved by junior
Deanne Algeo. Roberts drove in another run with a single and the Gaels trailed 6-0.
Down half a dozen, the Gaels started to claw back into the contest. In the top of the sixth, sophomore CF
Jodi Petersen led off with a double to left. With one out, senior C
Melanie Gettins drove in Petersen with a double to right field. Senior 3B
Alyssa Maiese followed with her second home run of the season and the Gaels trailed by only three.
In their next turn at the dish, the Gaels tied the contest with another three run inning. Freshman RF
Katie Jansson led off with a double down the left field line. Algeo reached on an error with Jansson moving to third on the play. Senior LF
Erin Kyle followed with a single to load the bases for Iona. Petersen drove in the first run of the inning on a sacrifice fly. Gettins drove in the next two Iona runs with a single through the right side and the Gaels and Tigers were tied at 6.
In the bottom of the seventh, Princeton picked up the winning run on a single by Kelsey VandeBergh, driving in Megan Weidrick, who reached on an Iona error. Algeo (0-1) took the Iona loss in relief, allowing just the unearned run in 2.1 innings of relief. Alex Peyton went the distance for her first win of the year.
In game two, Iona got off to a quick start with two in the top of the first. With two out, Gettins, the Iona DH for the contest, through the left side before Maiese homered to left to put Iona ahead.
Mount St. Mary's cut the Iona lead in half in the bottom of the second on a home run by Beth Everist. The score remained the same until the Mary St. Mary's fifth. After Nicole Reeder was hit by a pitch and Taylor Beebe walked, Erin Leddy homered to left to put the Mount up 4-2.
Iona got within one in their final at bat. Petersen homered with one out and the Gaels put the go ahead run on with two outs but were unable to get the neccesary hit. Maiese (1-4) took the loss, allowing four runs on just three hits. She struck 10 batters.
The Gaels are back in action tomorrow against Liberty (11:30 am) and UMBC (3:30 pm).
