NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The Iona College softball team routed St. John's 7-2 on Wednesday afternoon at Donald E. Walsh Field. Senior Hailey Thompson reached safely in all three of her plate appearances and had a bases-clearing triple that put the exclamation point on the Gaels' five-run third inning.

GAME SUMMARY

Marnie Skinner took to the circle for Iona, facing off against the Red Storm's Kayla Kmett. St. John's took a 1-0 lead in the opening frame without registering a hit. Gretchen Bowie walked, stole second and then advanced to third on a throwing error by Iona catcher Hannah Collins. Bowie scored the first run of the afternoon on a wild pitch. Earlier in the frame, Collins gunned down Meisha Murray trying to swipe second, just the fifth time the freshman has been caught stealing this season in 20 attempts.
 
The Gaels got the first two runners aboard to begin their half of the first inning, but a Jasmine Temple grounder to third turned into two outs and ended Iona's potential rally. 
 
St. John's did as Iona did in the first, putting two runners on base to open the top of the second inning. Both runners moved up 60 feet on a ground ball back to the pitcher, but were stranded after Skinner punched out the next two hitters to end the frame.
 
The Red Storm added another run in the third when Murray came around to score on a hard-hit ball down the first-base line by Peyton Cody. Skinner battled though, eventually escaping a bases-loaded jam by getting Amelia Ditolvo to foul out behind home plate.
 
Iona's third-inning rally came to life with two outs in the inning. Senior Kimmie Chiapparelli doubled into the right-centerfield gap to push the Maroon & Gold's first run across the plate. In the midst of a Natalia Meray walk, Chiapparelli moved up to third on a wild pitch. Junior Ciarra DiGuilio bounced one up the middle that allowed Chiapparelli to come around to score and tie things at two. Brianna Buck reached on an error and Thompson proceeded to loop a ball down the rightfield line, and with some assistance from the sun, made it around to third and gave the Gaels a 5-2 lead. Iona's five-run frame came to a close after Collins popped up to the shortstop.
 
Freshman Kara Zazzaro entered in relief of Skinner to begin the fourth inning, striking out two and eventually stranding Gabby Conca at first after her leadoff single. Iona's rookie retired the side in order in the top of the fifth, needing just five pitches to take care of the heart of the Red Storm batting order.
 
Angela Saric took over for Kmett in the fifth inning, allowing Iona to load the bases with nobody out. Saric got pinch hitter Kayla Hujber to strikeout for out number one, but then offered a free pass to Thompson to walk in a run. Another run would come around to score by way of a bases-on-balls to give Iona a 7-2 advantage. Saric would get Jessica Chilcott to strike out to end the inning and leave three runners on base.
 
Zazzaro worked around two errors at the hot corner in the sixth inning to keep St. John's off the scoreboard. The Southington, CT native would then strikeout two more batters in the seventh inning to close things out for the Gaels and secure a victory.

NOTABLE NUGGETS

• Thompson's third-inning triple was her first of the season and her four RBI pushed her season total to seven.
• Skinner earned her seventh victory of the season, allowing a pair of runs (one earned) on four hits.
• Iona hitters drew six walks on the day; Meray and Thompson took two bases-on-balls each.
• As a team, the Gaels were 3-8 with two outs against Kmett. St. John's hitters were hitless in nine at-bats with two outs against Skinner and Zazzaro.
• Defensively, Iona made five errors in the field. The Red Storm made two errors of their own.
• St. John's Meisha Murray stole one base and was caught stealing once, just the fifth time in 21 total attempts this year. Gretchen Bowie stole her 16^thbase in the first inning, remaining perfect in stolen base attempts here in 2019.
• Iona's win was just the third in its last 15 matchups with St. John's. It is the second time the Gaels have won in New Rochelle (Apr. 12, 2017); the other victory came in Queens on March 24, 2012.

UP NEXT

Iona hosts a pair of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference foes this weekend. Fairfield will do battle with the Gaels on Saturday afternoon and then it will be Quinnipiac on Sunday. The Maroon & Gold will honor seniors Kimmie Chiapparelli, Marisa Gergel and Hailey Thompson prior to Sunday's game.

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