NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona College softball team picked up two crucial wins in league play Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader sweep of Canisius Saturday afternoon at Rice Oval.
In the opener, senior Jodi Petersen delivered a walk off home run leading off the ninth inning to grab a 3-2 victory in extra innings. In the nightcap, the Gaels raced out to an early 5-0 lead and did not look back, claiming an 8-1 victory.
In the opener, the Griffs were able to grab a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the third inning. Robin Kennery plated two with a single up the middle off Iona starter Carly Argyle.
The Gaels cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the fourth. Junior Katie Jansson led off the frame with a walk and came all the way around, scoring from third on a passed ball.
Iona knotted the game at two with a run in the fifth inning. Senior Beth Kann walked with two out. Freshman Sarah Schutz would then reach on an error in the Canisius outfield, allowing Kann to score on the play.
The game would remained tied until the ninth inning, when Petersen connected on her first home run of the season.
Argyle picked up her eighth win of the year in the contest, allowing two runs on seven hits and four walks in nine innings of work. Amanda Baun (4-8) took the loss for Canisius, allowing three runs, one earned, on six hits and six walks in eight innings.
In game two, Iona jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI single to left by sophomore Allison Hand.
The Gaels would then put across four runs in the third inning. Hand delivered another RBI single, this time to right field, scoring classmate Brianna Schauer. Argyle would later draw bases loaded walk to plate Schutz before a single by freshman Brianna King scored two more runs and gave Iona a commanding lead.
Canisius would score its lone run of the game in the fourth inning when Tori Nappo scored Bethany DeMarco with a single up the middle.
Jansson drove in Kann with a ground rule double in the fifth, before Argyle drove in two more in the sixth on a single to center field as the Gaels picked up their seventh conference win of the season.
Argyle picked up her second win of the day in game two, allowing six hits, two walks and one runs in seven innings. Canisius starter Jen Consaul (15-9) took the loss, allowing five runs, three earned, and three walks in three innings of work.
Iona looks to keep its momentum going Sunday, when it hosts Niagara in a conference doubleheader beginning at 12:00 pm.
