CHARLESTON, SC – The Iona College softball team dropped a pair of contests on the second day of the Cougar Classic on Saturday. Freshman Natalia Meray and junior Kimberly Chiapparelli each had three hits on the day while sophomore Ciarra DiGuilio blasted her second career homerun.
GAME ONE: Northern Illinois 6, Iona 2
Rookie Samantha Bender started her first collegiate game and went 4.1 innings allowing five earned runs on 10 hits and two walks. The Huskies did not strike out once against the freshman. They found success throughout the game with leader-off hitters batting 3-for-7. In advancement opportunities, Iona felt pressured with Northern Illinois converting at a .450 clip.
Northern Illinois struck for one run in the second and third inning. Three more runs were tacked against Bender in the fifth, anchored by sophomore Kayla Scaperrotta's second RBI in as many innings. Senior Alaynie Woodlard went 2-for-2 from the plate, drove in two runs and scored two. She also earned two base on balls.
For Meray Iiona reached bases all three times in the box with two hits and one walk. She drove in the second run of the day for the Maroon & Gold with single to right field that scored junior Hailey Thompson. Iona's second basemen had reached base with a RBI triple to right center that scored senior Courtney Miller for the team's first run.
Iona ended game one with five hits. Chiapparelli, Miller and Thompson all had one hit in addition to Meray's pair.
Sophomore Marnie Skinner came on in relief of Bender to go 2.2 innings and allow one earned run on two hits and two walks.
Senior Tara Thacker picked up the win for Northern Illinois. She went the distance, striking out seven and stranding five runners on base.
GAME TWO: Presbyterian 10, Iona 5
Miscues costed the Maroon & Gold as four errors led to seven unearned runs for Presbyterian in an extra inning loss in Saturday's finale.
The Blue Hose scored once in the top of the first inning but the Gaels answered with four runs in the bottom half.
Sophomore Jasmine Temple single up the middle to score Meray and tie the game. Senior catcher Tori Danner followed it up with a double to left field. Stepping up to the plate was designated player DiGuilio who proceeded to hit her second round-tripper in as many days.
Iona made the score 5-1 in the bottom of the second with junior Marisa Gergel driving home Thompson for her first RBI of the year.
Junior Megan Anderson drove home the first Blue Hose run and factored in the start of her teams' four run rally in the top of the fifth inning. She hit a single into right field that led to a throwing error allowing junior Jonie Petree to score. Presbyterian keyed in on Iona's mistake and cashed in three more runs to tie the game at five.
Senior Jessica Harkness started the game for Iona and went three innings, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out five. Junior Alana Evans came on in relief and allowed four runs through her first three innings, however just one was earned with the error committed in the fifth.
Neither team scored in the sixth or seventh innings extra innings ensued. The Cougar Classic tournament rules stipulates that a runner be placed on second base at the beginning of each inning.
With the bases loaded and one out in the top of the eighth, Presbyterian had Anderson come through again. She cleared the bases with a double to left center which gave the Blue Hose an 8-5 lead. Skinner came on in relief of Evans and eventually surrendered a two-run homerun to sophomore Lindsay Harris.
The Gaels wrap up the Cougar Classic with one game on Sunday, Feb. 18 at noon. The Maroon & Gold battle against Longwood.
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