NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona College softball team split a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference doubleheader with Rider Saturday afternoon at Rice Oval. Rider got a late run in game one and came away with a 1-0 victory before the Gaels took game two 5-3.
In game one, Rider broke a scoreless tie in the seventh inning when with one out. Alyssa Paul singled to center field and Allysen Breeden followed with an RBI double to plate the lone run of the game, marking the fourth 1-0 loss by the Gaels this season, and third in the last seven games.
Rider's Rachel Matreale picked up her 15th win of the season for Rider, allowing just four hits and two walks in seven innings. Iona's
Sarah Jackson was the hard luck loser, allowing seven hits and one run in her seven innings while striking out eight.
In game two, the Gaels got on the board for the first time all day in the bottom of the second. Senior
Deanne Algeo reached on an error to start the inning and moved to second on a bunt by senior
Allyssa James. A wild pitch moved Algeo to third before senior
Chelsea Sheehan singled to center to drive in the first run of the game.
Iona got another run in the third when junior
Eileen McCann led off with a home run to left field, putting Iona ahead 2-0. Rider got on the board in the top of the fifth inning, getting one run on an RBI single by Ally Coryell. Iona starter
Alyssa Maiese was able to get out of trouble in the inning with Rider stranding the bases loaded.
The Gaels answered the Broncs' run with three in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Maiese walked and Algeo followed with a single up the middle. James came to the plate next and delivered a triple down the right field line to score two. Sheehan delivered her second run scoring single of the day, hitting a line drive up the middle to score James with Iona's fifth run.
In the top of the sixth, an Iona error allowed Gina McCool to score Rider's second run before an RBI single by senior Kelsey Krisch to cut the Gael lead to 5-3 but that was as close as Rider would get.
Maiese picked up her 11th win of the season for the Gaels, going seven innings and allowing just one earned run. Matreale started game two and took the loss, allowing two runs, one earned, in three innings. Krysti Maronzki allowed three earned runs and five hits in three innings of relief.
Due to a forecast of poor weather for Sunday, the doubleheader with Manhattan has been moved to 2:00 pm on Monday at Gaelic Park.
