CONWAY, SC – The long ball doomed the Gaels on Sunday afternoon, as three solo shots in consecutive innings helped Seton Hall walk away with a 4-3 win. Freshman Kaelene Walter homered for the second straight game and classmate Morgan Ritchey notched the first run batted in of her collegiate career.

GAME SUMMARY

Sophomore Jessica Chilcott opened up the afternoon with a double into centerfield, but was doubled off trying to tag up on Kaelene Walter's fly ball a batter later. It ended up becoming a non-traditional 1-2-3 top of the first for Seton Hall after Jasmine Temple grounded out to the right side.
 
Alana Evans got the start in the circle for the Gaels, immediately finding herself in trouble after a leadoff triple and a walk. Evans struck out Baylee Allender looking on three pitches for the first out. Hannah Collins cut down the lead runner trying to score from third on a wild pitch for the second out of the frame. Having nearly escaped the jam, Seton Hall would push one run across with an RBI single back through the box, but that would be all for the first inning.
 
Ciarra DiGuilio was hit by a pitch to begin the second and moved up a base on Natalia Meray's sacrifice bunt. Brianna Buck drove home Iona's first run with a single into right centerfield. Evans stranded two Pirate runners in the bottom of the second to keep the game tied 1-1.
 
Walter hit a two-out solo homerun over the left field fence to give Iona a 2-1 lead in the top of the third inning. Seton Hall loaded the bases on two walks and a hit batsmen in the bottom half of the frame and Evans gave way to Marnie Skinner. The senior got a groundball out to end the inning and strand the bases loaded.
 
Ritchey stepped up to the plate with two runners in scoring position and two away in the top of the fourth inning, delivering an RBI with an infield single. That would be all Iona could muster for the rest of the afternoon.
 
Seton Hall's first of three solo homeruns came off the bat of Jaden Tate in the bottom of the fourth inning. The game-tying shot started the fifth inning and in the sixth, Tate struck again to give the Pirates the lead for good. 
 
Iona would get a runner to second base in its final turn at the dish, but Walter went down swinging and Temple flew out to end the game.

UP NEXT

The Gaels will take a weekend off before resuming action at the Demarini Tiger Clash at Towson University from March 6-8. Iona faces La Salle and Towson twice and Stony Brook once.

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