NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona College softball team upended Monmouth 6-3 in the nightcap of today's doubleheader after falling 4-0 in the opener to earn a split fo the MAAC doubleheader and give the New Jersey university it's first conference loss of the season.
GAME ONE
Following three scoreless inning of play, Monmouth (19-14, 9-1 MAAC) was able to break through in the fourth inning of the first game with a pair of runs. Amber Wozniak singled in the first run of the game with a hit up the middle to plate Chloe Howerth. Two batters later, Katie Baron scored on a sacrifice fly from Jasmine Higa to afford the visitors a 2-0 advantage.
Wozniak was front and center again for the Hawks in the sixth, giving her team more insurance with a two-run homerun to left center that gave Baron her second run of the game and the Hawks a 4-0 lead.
The four runs were more than enough for starting pitcher Amanda Riley who moved to 12-5 on the season with seven shutout inning with 11 strikeouts, no walks and just two hits allowed.
Jasmine Temple and
Rebecca Gabert each tallied a hit for the Maroon & Gold (16-20, 8-4 MAAC). In the effort,
Marnie Skinner struck out four with no walks in a complete game performance.
GAME TWO
Both teams were on the attack in the first inning of the second game as Monmouth jumped out to a 1-0 lead with Kayla Rosado RBI single. However, the Gaels quickly turned the advantage around as
Ciarra DiGuilio drove in a pair with a single in the bottom half of the first.
Courtney Miller plated Kimmie Chiapparelli with a single down the right field line to give the hosts a 3-1 margin.
Rosado added two more RBI in the fifth to tie the game for Monmouth, driving in Howerth and Sam Tomasetti with a single to left field. However,
Alana Evans struck out Wozniak to end the threat and keep the game tied at 3-3.
Once again, Iona was quick to take the lead back as
Tori Danner's single in the bottom of the fifth brought in
Marisa Gergel to regain the lead at 4-3. In the sixth, Natalia Meary increased the margin to 6-3 with a two RBI single to score Gabert and
Hailey Thompson.
The six runs proved to benefit Evans as she finished with nine strikeouts in a complete game victory, her seventh win of the season. Meray, Danner and Miller all notched two hits while Gergel scored a pair. Miller also added a walk to her to go a perfect 2-for-2 from the plate.
The Maroon & Gold are quickly back in action at Walsh Field on Sunday afternoon, hosting Marist for a MAAC doubleheader starting at nooon.
