NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The Iona College softball team swept its Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference doubleheader against Rider University at Donald E. Walsh Field on Sunday afternoon. The Gaels picked up a 2-1 extra-inning victory in game one before surviving a 4-2 finale. The Maroon & Gold's conference record stands at 5-1.
GAME ONE: Iona 2, Rider 1 (9 Innings)
Sophomore Jasmine Temple blasted her fourth home run of the season, and second in as many games, in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Iona the walk-off victory in game one. Taking advantage of a 3-1 count, the 2017 All-MAAC Rookie Team member catapulted a line drive no-doubter over the fence and gave Iona its first extra-inning win of the season.
Sophomores Marnie Skinner and Elyse Cuttic embarked in a tense pitcher's duel throughout the entire game. The Gaels struck first in the bottom of the fifth inning via two Rider errors. Sophomore Ciarra DiGuilio singled to center field with one out and was able to advance to second base on a bobble by Bronc senior Toni Nino. With senior Tori Danner at-bat, Cuttic threw a wild pitch that advanced DiGuilio to third. Danner then hit a high soft fly ball to right field that junior Brianna Parisio couldn't gather; DiGuilio read the miscue and crossed the plate to give the Maroon & Gold a 1-0 lead.
Rider tied the game in the top of the seventh inning. Cuttic walked to lead the inning and was pinch ran for by rookie Melanie Wilkinson. The Bronc threat became all-to-real once Wilkinson stole second base. Rider pushed the tying run across with redshirt sophomore Gabby Bram's single up the middle.
Skinner left the door to victory intact for Temple to bash down by escaping the seventh and pitching 1-2-3 frames in extras. The Moses Lake, WA native improved her record to 6-4 with nine innings of two-hit, eight strike out expertise.
Junior Marisa Gergel, Temple, DiGuilio and junior Hailey Thompson combined for the Maroon & Gold's four hits. Cuttic struck out three batters and walked just one in her eight-plus innings of work for Rider.
GAME TWO: Iona 4, Rider 2
Junior Alana Evans continued her strikeout proficiency as part of her third consecutive complete game in Sunday's finale. She struck out 12 Bronc batters while dancing around five hits and five walks. Evans has struck out double-digit batters twice this season with the other coming in her first MAAC appearance against Saint Peter's.
Iona scored all four of its runs in the fourth inning. With the bases loaded and one out, rookie pitcher Debra Jones turned the key on a Gael carousal with a wild pitch that allowed junior Kimberly Chiapparelli to scamper home. With two ducks on the pond, and much like in game one, Danner came up in a big spot once again and delivered.
A sharp grounded single up the middle scored rookie Natalie Meray and DiGuilio to make the score 3-0. The lineup eventually turned over and Gergel was able to drive home Danner for Iona's fourth with a slicing double down the left field line.
Rider made things interesting in the top of the seventh inning, beginning with rookie Sam Ward taking Evans deep for her first collegiate homerun. From there Wilkinson and Nino both reached base on infield singles. With runners on first and second and one out, junior Amanda Gordon grounded a hopper to Evans in the circle but reached base once it bounced off the hurler's glove. Evans rebounded from her error by getting the final two outs on punch outs with just a single run-scoring free-pass mashed between the two Ks.
Iona pitchers have a 0.64 ERA and are holding opponents to a .135 batting average through the first six games of MAAC play.
The Gaels return to non-conference action at home on Tuesday afternoon against neighborhood rival Fordham. Follow Iona softball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to stay up to date on all things Maroon & Gold.
