NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The Iona College softball team split its doubleheader against Marist at Donald E. Walsh Field on Sunday afternoon. The Red Foxes took game one 9-2, but the Maroon & Gold mustered up for a dramatic 2-1 extra inning win to improve their MAAC record to 9-5.
Prior to the day's doubleheader, head coach Melissa Inouye and her staff honored Courtney Miller, Tori Danner, Jessica Harkness and Samantha Mello as part of the program's annual senior day ceremony. The Gaels also gave a special shout out to Kris Brill, a dedicated member of the Iona College facilities crew who helped the program for numerous years.
GAME ONE: Marist 9, Iona 2
Iona jumped on the board first in the bottom of the first inning. Rookie Natalia Meray stated the game with a walk and came around to score on an RBI groundout by junior third basemen Kimberly Chiapparelli.
The Red Foxes took the lead in the top of the third inning. Harkness, who was given the start, walked the first two batters and saw the bases become loaded with nobody out following a fielding error. Sophomore Marnie Skinner entered and surrendered a two-run double down the right field line to rookie Caroline Baratta. Marist made it 3-1 with junior Casey Page crossing the plate as an unearned run courtesy of a productive groundout from senior Miranda Perez.
Meray started another scoring inning for the Gaels in the bottom of the third. She singled to centerfield and was sacrificed over by junior Marisa Gergel. Sophomore Jasmine Temple doubled deep to left center on a 3-0 pitch to bring he Maroon & Gold back within one.
Marist extended its lead in the top of the fifth inning with four runs on four hits and two Iona errors. Perez, sophomore Ali Milam and senior Kourtney Paul all had run-producing at-bats. The Red Foxes tacked on one additional run in the sixth and seventh innings.
Harkness reentered the game in the later innings and finished with a line that read three innings, two hits, four runs, three earned runs, three walks and three strikeouts. Skinner went four innings allowing seven hits, five runs, one earned run, one walk and one strikeout.
Gergel finished with two hits and one sacrifice. Meray, Temple and sophomore Rebeca Gabert each had one hit.
Junior Megan Beiermeister helmed Marist in the circle going the distance facing 29 batters and striking out seven. Paul and Baratta led the barrage in the batter's box with two hits each.
 GAME TWO: Iona 2, Marist 1 (11 Innings)
Entering the 11th inning, the Gaels had been limited to just three hits and three walks. Battling through the struggles in the box, it was a senior who came across the plate to ensure an important split of the doubleheader.
Danner led off the bottom of the 11th inning with a four-pitch walk. Miller dropped down a sacrifice bunt to advance her classmate to scoring position. Sophomore Ciarra DiGuillio reached base on a throwing error to make it first and second with one out. Then came the rousing and appropriate end to Iona's senior day.
Chiapparelli took an 0-1 pitch and singled it up the middle, scoring Danner and giving Iona its ninth MAAC win of the season.
Rookie Samantha Bender is credited with the win, the first of her collegiate career. She went seven innings in relief, allowing zero runs on just five hits. She walked no batters and struck out three. Junior Alana Evans began the game for Iona and went four innings allowing one earned run on three hits. Marist earned five free passes and struck out just once against the three-time MAAC Pitcher of the Week. Each of the Red Foxes hits against Evans were for extra-bases.
Marist took a 1-0 led in the top of the second inning. Senior Brittany Colombo and sophomore Jade Sinksul earned back-to-back leadoff walks to begin the frame. Page sacrificed the runners into scoring position and Baratta immediately followed with an RBI sacrifice fly to centerfield.
Iona scored in the bottom of the fourth inning to tie the game courtesy of an RBI double to left field by Chiapparelli. Miller came across the plate to tie the game after having started the inning with a walk.
Gergel stayed hot from game one with two more hits, including a double. Danner reached base a team-high three times, all on free passes.
Junior Brooke Peterson takes the loss for Marist. She went 5.0 innings out of the bullpen and allowed just one hit, Chiapparelli's game-winner. Junior Kallen Leeseberg began the game and went 5.1 strong, striking out seven Gael batters.
Iona hosts Wagner on Wednesday, Apr. 25 for a doubleheader beginning at 2:30 PM. The game is being broadcasted on ESPN+. It's next conference games will be on Sunday, Apr. 25 at Manhattan.
Follow Iona softball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to stay up to date on all things Maroon & Gold.
