RIVERDALE, NY - The Iona College softball team moved to 9-5 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action after a doubleheader sweep of Manhattan College Wednesday afternoon at Gaelic Park. In game one, the Gaels scored two runs in the seventh inning to grab a 7-5 victory before taking a 5-3 victory in the nightcap.
Graduate outfielder Eileen McCann went 5-7 over the two games, hitting home runs in each game of the twinbill. McCann also finished the day with six runs batted in and three runs scored. Senior Katie Jansson, junior Allison Hand and sophomore Sarah Schutz each drove in a pair of runs in the doubleheader.
Manhattan scored the first run of the contest in the second inning when Amy Bright homered to left field with one out. Iona got on the board with two runs in the third frame. With one out, freshman Kelsey Long singled through the left side before McCann homered to left for her then fourth round tripper of the season.
Iona used the long ball again in the fourth inning. Jansson led off the frame with a solo homer to left field. Later in the frame, with two outs, following a walk to freshman Katie Newton, Hand connected on a two run shot, her seventh of the year, to put the Gaels ahead 5-1.
The Jaspers began their comeback in the fifth inning, scoring three times in the stanza on a home run by Jenn Vasquez to left to trim the deficit to one, 5-4. Manhattan then evened the score in the sixth inning when Emily Cutler scored on a fielder's choice by Vasquez.
The Gaels broke the tie in the top of the seventh inning with a single swing. With the bases loaded, sophomore Sarah Schutz doubled to left center, scoring McCann and Long with the go ahead runs. Manhattan put a runner on with one out in the bottom of the frame, before junior Carly Argyle retired the potential tying run twice to grab her ninth win of the season.
In game two, Iona grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Jansson plated Hand with a single to left field. The Gaels then surged ahead 4-0 in the third inning on McCann's three run home run in the third inning, scoring Hand and Long.
The Jaspers cut the deficit in half with two runs in the bottom of the frame, when Vazquez drove in two runs with a single up the middle. McCann continued her hot day and put the Gaels ahead 5-2 in the sixth inning when she drove in sophomore Brianna King with a triple to right field.
Overall the Gaels collected 14 hits in game two, including multi-hit efforts from McCann, Jansson, Hand, Newton and freshman Kristen Turner. Sophomore Jordan Courage was credited with her fourth win of the season for the Gaels, allowing eight hits and two runs over seven innings while striking out four.
Game two starter Bright took the loss for the Jaspers, allowing four runs and eight hits in three innings of work.
The Gaels resume MAAC action Saturday afternoon, when they welcome Siena to Rice Oval for a doubleheader beginning at 12:00 pm.
