CHARLESTON, SC - The Iona College softball team continued early season two non-conference games Friday at the Charleston Southern Tournament. The Gaels dropped game one to Jacksonville State 12-1, before dropping game two against the host team, Charleston Southern 8-0.

In the opener against Jacksonville State, the Gaels managed just five hits in the 11 run defeat. Senior Allison Hand went 1-3 at the dish, with a stolen base and a run scored. The only run batted in was by senior Brianna Schauer, who plated Hand in the first inning with an RBI double after the Gamecocks opened the scoring in the top of the first. It was the first hit on a 2-3 opening game for Schauer. Junior Sarah Schutz and sophomore Katie Newton collect one hit apiece.

After the 1-1 tie after the first inning, it was all Gamecocks, scoring 11 unanswered runs, taking advantage of four Iona errors. Freshman Jessica Harkness took the loss for the Maroon & Gold, going 6.1 innings, giving up five earned runs, walking four batters.

In the nightcap, Iona managed only three hits in the defeat. Hand went 1-3, and Schauer went 2-2 with a pair of singles. Junior Jordan Courage took the loss for Iona, going four innings, giving up eight earned runs, walking four batters. The second inning proved to the downfall for the Gaels, where she gave up six runs by surrendering a leadoff home run to Cheyenne Gandara, walking three batters and hitting a batter.

Iona is back in action on Saturday, Mar. 7 continuing the Charleston Southern Tournament against Wright State (9:00 am) and a rematch with the host Bucs (3:00 pm).