GREENSBORO, NC – Iona was swept by Northern Kentucky to conclude the 2019 UNC Greensboro Invitational. Senior Kimmie Chiapparelli was 3-7 on the day with two RBIs.

GAME SUMMARY

The first of two games between the Norse and the Gaels began with Samantha Bender on the bump. Bender retired the first two batters in order before allowing two straight singles. The sophomore was able to work out of a little early trouble by striking out Kit Rocco to strand two runners.
 
Both teams went down in order until the top half of the third, when NKU struck for two runs. A double and a sac fly brought home the first two runs of the game; Bender got Rocco to ground out to once again strand two runners and limit the damage.
 
In the bottom half of the third, freshman catcher Hannah Collins led off with a single, the first of her collegiate career and the first of the game for Iona. Kayla Hujber sacrificed the runner to second and with two away, Collins' classmate Jessica Chilcott drove her in to cut the deficit in half for the Gaels. The inning ended when Jasmine Temple fouled out, leaving runners on the corners.
 
Bender made quick work of the Norse in the top of the fourth; in the bottom half, two singles to begin the inning chased Northern Kentucky's starter. Southpaw Taylor Ginther entered in relief and struck out the side to thwart Iona's chance to tie the ballgame. 
 
Skinner relieved Bender in the fifth and retired the side without issue. Ginther retired Iona in order in the bottom of the fifth, but a leadoff single in the sixth turned into the game-tying run for the Gaels after pinch runner Madison Mayle crossed the plate on a Chiapparelli single through the box. The Maroon & Gold had a chance to take the lead with runners on first and third and nobody out, but Ginther worked out of a jam and the game remained tied at two.
 
It took Skinner seven pitches to record the first two outs of the top of the seventh, but a single on an 0-2 pitch and then a wild pitch put the go-ahead runner in scoring position for Northern Kentucky. Down in the count 3-0, Skinner offered up a double that plated the third run late in the contest.
 
The top of the seventh began with Ciarra DiGuilio pinch-hitting for Rebecca Gabert; the sophomore struck out to open the final frame. Natalia Meray and Chilcott singled to put the tying and winning runs on base for Temple. Ginther got Iona's three hitter to bounce into a game-ending double play and secure the win for the Norse in the first game of a doubleheader.
 
Marnie Skinner got the nod in the second game of the day for the Maroon & Gold. After the Gaels' offense left two runners in scoring position in the opening frame, Skinner worked around a leadoff double to keep things scoreless after one.
 
The junior ran into some problems early on in the second inning. Northern Kentucky put runners on first and third with nobody out, but Skinner held the Norse at bay for a moment after two groundouts. A two-out walk loaded the bases as the lineup turned over to Toree Stalter, who connected on the third pitch she saw and brought home four runs with one swing of the bat. A two-bagger followed up the grand slam and knocked Skinner out of the game after just 1.2 innings pitched. Zazzaro inherited one runner and allowed her to score, making it a 5-0 game after two innings.
 
Iona loaded the bases with one out, but just like earlier in the day, Ginther got an inning-ending double play to escape trouble. The Gaels had a chance to get on the board in the next inning when Hujber put a ball in play with runners on second and third and one out, but DiGuilio was gunned down at the plate and Iona's chance went by the wayside in the fourth.
 
The Maroon & Gold got their first run across in the fifth when Chiapparelli's single through the left side plated Meray. Collins came up with three ducks on the pond representing the tying run, but fouled out to the first baseman. 
 
Iona put runners on in the sixth and seventh, but couldn't string anything together and fell in the second game of the doubleheader.

UP NEXT

The Maroon & Gold will have a little less than two weeks off before they hit the road for the Pirate-Spartan Classic on March 9. Iona will face Hofstra and Hampton on day one and then Morgan State and Norfolk State on March 10.

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