NEW ROCHELLE, NY - In the squad's final tuneup before the 2011 MAAC Championship, the Iona College softball team dropped a pair of games to Manhattan Sunday afternoon at Rice Oval. In game one, the Jaspers used a two run eighth to win 3-2 in extra innings before the Gaels were held to one hit in a 3-0 game two loss.
In game one, the two squads would not be able to score the game's first run until the bottom of the fourth. After reaching on a fielder's choice, freshman RF
Katie Jansson stole second. After a walk to junior 1B
Allyssa James, junior 3B
Chelsea Sheehan singled to left to score Jansson and put Iona ahead 1-0.
Manhattan would tie the game in the sixth innings with three hits. Third baseman Nicole Michel picked up the third hit, an RBI single that drove in left fielder Monica Evangelista.
The Jaspers would put the winning runs across in the top of the eighth. Designated player Kate Bowen delivered the crucial blow, a two out single to left to score pitcher Melissa Donnelly and pinch runner Amanda Berrios.
A one out home run by sophomore CF
Jodi Petersen in the bottom of the inning cut the lead to one but the Gaels could not keep the rally going. Junior
Sarah Jackson took the loss for the Gaels, allowing the three runs as well as seven hits while striking out seven
The Iona offense could not get off the ground in game two against Manhattan's Erika Sullivan. Their lone hit of the game was a lead off single by James in the third.
The Jaspers would get their first run in the first when Donnelly single home center fielder Kristina Walraven. Manhattan would put runs across in the fourth and seventh to reach the 3-0 final.
Junior
Alyssa Maiese allowed three runs, one earned, in seven innings to take the tough luck loss. Sullivan moved to 11-7 with the win.
The Gaels are seeded fourth in the MAAC Championship and will take on the number one seed Fairfield in the first round Thursday.
