NORFOLK, VA – The Iona college softball team lost both games on the final day of the Pirate-Spartan Classic in Virginia. The Maroon & Gold allowed eight runs across the two games, six of them being charged as unearned runs.

GAME ONE

Sophomore Natalia Meray opened up Iona's first game of the day with a double into left centerfield on the second pitch she saw. Senior Marisa Gergel worked a walk and rookie Jessica Chilcott followed that up with a single to the opposite field; Meray tried to come around and score but was cut down at the plate for the first out of the inning. Senior Kimmie Chiapparelli drew a walk, the second of the inning for the Gaels to load the bases. Morgan State's starter, Stephanie Rundlett, set down junior Taylor Brown on strikes to leave the bases loaded and keep the Maroon & Gold off the scoreboard.
 
The Bears would load the bases in the bottom half of the second inning against junior Marnie Skinner. The Gaels' starter got a strikeout and a fly out to keep things scoreless between the two teams early on.
 
Morgan State would be the first to get a run across, and it came because of an Iona error and a wild pitch. Sarah Heagy reached on an error at the hot corner and would eventually be moved up to third base because of a wild pitch from Skinner with two away in the inning. Amy Pacheco singled on the very next pitch to give the Bears a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third.
 
A Morgan State miscue in the following inning would help Iona load the bases for a second time, this time with nobody out. Two popups on the infield and a grounder to third base killed the rally for the Maroon & Gold and kept the deficit at one. 
 
It seemed as if Rundlett had found her groove and was going to continue to coast through the first game of the day; Senior Hailey Thompson had other ideas, sending the second pitch she saw in the top of the sixth over the centerfield fence to tie things at one. The homer was the first of the season for Thompson and the sixth of her career. Sophomore Ciarra DiGuilio would work a walk later in the inning but was stranded at second when Meray grounded out to end the sixth. 
 
In the bottom half of the same inning, Morgan State's leadoff batter drew a full-count walk and was sacrificed to second. Another bunt, this one back to Skinner on the mound, led to a throwing error and allowed the go-ahead run to come around and score. Skinner would retire the final two batters of the inning, but they would be the final two batters to come to the dish for the Bears. Iona went down one-two-three in the top of the seventh, losing the first of two games on Sunday.

GAME TWO

The Gaels began the second game in similar fashion as the first of the day; Meray singled and advanced to second after a sacrifice bunt. She was stranded after Chilcott and junior Jasmine Temple grounded out.
 
Sophomore Samantha Bender got the nod for the Maroon & Gold vs. Norfolk State, allowing two runs to cross the plate in the opening frame. After two singles put runners on first and second, Chilcott threw away a ball trying to cut down a double-steal attempt. The error led to the first run of the ballgame; a two-bagger down the right field line brought home the second run for the Spartans. 
 
Bender allowed three hits and two more runs in the second inning, but they were all unearned. Gergel was charged with an error on a fly ball in centerfield, leading to three runs combing around to score and making it a 5-0 lead for Norfolk State.
 
Down six runs to begin the sixth frame, singles from Gergel and Chilcott chased the Spartan starter. Temple greeted the new hurler with a single of her own to fill the bases. Norfolk State traded two outs for two runs, getting ground ball outs from Chiaparelli and DiGuilio. Iona trailed 6-2 entering the final frame. A quiet seventh inning ended the Gaels' weekend, dropping their fourth contest of the tournament.

UP NEXT

The Gaels will travel to the west coast for five games against UMass Lowell and the Spartan Invitational host, San Jose State. Iona will play twice on Friday and Saturday and once on Sunday. 

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