LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – The Iona College softball team ended its regular season campaign by losing a pair of games at Rider on Saturday afternoon. The Gaels' offense could muster just one run across sixteen innings on senior day at Herb and Joan Young Softball Field in New Jersey.

GAME ONE: RIDER 2 – IONA 1

Freshman Kara Zazzaro, a day removed from a 11.1 inning, 17 strikeout performance in a loss at Monmouth, started game one against the Broncs. Debra Jones took to the circle as her opposition on the mound.
 
The Maroon & Gold struck first; junior Ciarra DiGuilio reached on an error by the second baseman with one out in the second inning. Taylor Brown and Hannah Collins strung together back-to-back two-out singles to push across Iona's lone run of the afternoon.
 
In the bottom of the third, Rider would even the game at one apiece. Kelsey Marigliano singed with one out and advanced to second on a wild pitch. A bunt single to the left side put runners on the corners for Grace Stansfield. The freshman came through, hitting a sacrifice fly to right field to make it a 1-1 game.
 
Zazzaro struck out the side, working around a one-out single in the bottom of the fourth to bring Iona to the dish in a tie game. Kayla Hujber laid down a bunt and reached first to begin the top of the fifth. After a Marisa Gergel fly out, Hujber was ruled out after leaving first base early, erasing the potential go-ahead runner from the bases. Natalia Meray would go down hacking to end the frame. 
 
Zazzaro would retire the next 11 batters she faced as the game entered extra innings for a second straight day. Rachael Zeides stroked a single with two away in the bottom of the eighth, but was stranded to end the inning.
 
The bottom of the ninth began with a pop up to the right side of the infield. The next batter, Lani Moreno, doubled to right field. She would come around to score the game-winning run on another extra base hit by Kiera Swank with two outs.

GAME TWO: RIDER 1 – IONA 0

Marnie Skinner faced off with Elyse Cuttic in another pitcher's duel in game two. Both pitchers stranded two runners across their first two innings pitched. 
 
Rider's only run of the game would come in the third frame, thanks to two errors defensively by Iona and a wild pitch. Marigliano reached with one out on a mishandled ball at shortstop. A throwing error on the next play would move her all the way to third base. Stansfield had another opportunity to drive in a run in the second game. This time though, the bat didn't even have to leave her shoulder; a wild pitch pushed the runner from third across and put another runner in scoring position with one away in the third. Skinner would strand that runner, getting two ground balls to end the inning.
 
DiGuilio and Brianna Buck singled in the next frame, giving Collins a second chance at driving in a run. Cuttic would get her to bounce out again, stranding another two base runners.
 
Iona would once again get two runners on base in the fifth, but again hang them out to dry. Gergel and Jasmine Temple singled and with two outs, Cuttic retired Kimmie Chiapparelli to end the threat.
 
The Gaels would threaten to score one more time. In the top of the seventh, Iona loaded the bases with two outs. Gergel reached on an error, Temple walked and Chiapparelli singled through the left side. DiGuilio stepped to the plate with three ducks on the pond, the tying run on third and the go-ahead run on second. She grounded one back to the pitcher and the Broncs completed the sweep on their home diamond. 

NOTABLE NUGGETS

• Iona's lone run of the afternoon was unearned. It came in the third inning of game one when Collins singled home DiGuilio.
• The Gaels played and lost in extra innings in the first game of the doubleheader for the second straight day. Yesterday, Monmouth walked off for the win in the 12^thinning. 
• Over the last two days, Zazzaro has tossed 20 innings, striking out 25 batters and allowing four runs. She was credited with the loss in both of those outings.
• Skinner went the distance in the second game. She scattered three hits and struck out just one across her six innings. The only blemish was an unearned run in the third inning.
• Rookies Hannah Collins and Brianna Buck recorded multi-hit games, respectively.
• As a team, Iona did not strike out once in game two. They recorded at least one hit in every inning except the first.
• Seven different Gaels recorded hits in the second game. The team left 11 runners on base.

UP NEXT

Iona will await its final seeding before the Metro Atlantic Athletic Championship begins on May 8. Marist currently holds the top spot and controls its own destiny. Should the Red Foxes win out, they will host the postseason tournament. The Maroon & Gold have fallen to fourth place; they can fall no lower than fourth and can slide up to third place depending on the outcome of Siena's final two games.

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