Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Events

View Schedule  
  Go Back

Iona University Athletics

ICSB
Stockton Photo Inc.
5
Winner Iona ION 13-7, 13-7 MAAC
1
Rider RID 10-9, 10-9 MAAC
Winner
Iona ION
13-7, 13-7 MAAC
5
Final
1
Rider RID
10-9, 10-9 MAAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Iona ION 1 0 0 2 0 0 2 5 7 1
Rider RID 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 6 2

W: Zazzaro, Kara (12-2) L: Jones, D. (4-5)

5
Winner Iona ION 14-7, 14-7 MAAC
4
Rider RID 10-10, 10-10 MAAC
Winner
Iona ION
14-7, 14-7 MAAC
5
Final
4
Rider RID
10-10, 10-10 MAAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Iona ION 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 5 6 3
Rider RID 1 0 1 0 2 0 0 4 13 4

W: DeJianne, Alyssa (2-3) L: Groskritz, A (4-2) S: Zazzaro, Kara (1)

Game Recap: Softball | | Jack Clark

Iona Softball Completes Four Game Sweep of Rider

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ - The Iona College softball team swept both games of its doubleheader at Rider on Sunday, completing the weekend sweep of the Broncs. With the two wins, Iona improved to 13-6 on the season and moved into sole possession of first place in the conference.

GAME ONE: (IONA 5, RIDER 1)

Jessica Chilcott started things off with a bang, hitting an opposite field homer, her MAAC-leading eighth homer of the year. Rider's Debra Jones retired the next three batters to end the inning. Kara Zazzaro, handed a lead before facing a batter, cruised through the opening two frames. The Gaels put runners on base in both the second and third innings, but Jones stranded a pair of runners in each inning.

Zazzaro retired the first two batters she faced in the third, then allowed consecutive singles. The junior got a pop up to strand two runners on base in the third.

Freshman Kayla Haywood led off the fourth inning with an infield single, then moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by Alana Evans. Haywood came around to score on Emma Capuano's first homerun of her career, a high drive to left center that gave the Gaels a 3-0 lead. After a walk and a double, Rider brought in Jesse Niegocki in relief of Jones. Niegocki got Natalia Meray and Kaelene Walter to end the inning and strand a pair of inherited runners in scoring position.

Zazzaro allowed a solo homerun to Lani Moreno in the bottom of the fourth, trimming the Iona lead to 3-1. After allowing a one-out single, Zazzaro set down the next two batters to end the fourth.

Niegocki shut down the Iona lineup for the most part after entering in a difficult situation in relief of Jones, but allowed the Gaels to provide Zazzaro with some insurance in the seventh. Freshman Jamie Sheeran homered to left center, driving in DiGuilio and padding the Maroon & Gold lead.

Zazzaro, now pitching with a four-run cushion, set down Rider in the bottom half of the seventh and notched Iona's third win of the weekend. 

GAME TWO: (IONA 5, RIDER 4)

Anna-Mari Groskritz started game two for the Broncs, allowing an unearned run in the first inning. Sheeran drove in Meray, who singled earlier in the frame and advanced on a fielding error by the first baseman. Groskritz struck out Haywood to leave runners on second and third in the opening inning.

Alyssa DeJianne, starting in the circle for the Maroon & Gold in game two, allowed Rider to tie things up just three batters into the game. Kelsey Marigliano came around to score on a double by Moreno after she doubled to begin the home half of the first. After an error at short put another runner on with just one out, DeJianne beared down to get the final two outs and keep the score tied.

A pair of errors in the field to begin the second put Groskritz in a tough situation. Iona made Rider pay for its transgressions in the field, scoring four unearned runs in the inning to take a 5-1 lead. Iona's fourth run of the frame came after Meray stole second and Chilcott stole home. Groskritz then walked the bases loaded before recording three straight outs to stop the bleeding.

DeJianne pitched a scoreless second inning but ran into some trouble in the bottom of the third. Two errors behind DeJianne in the field allowed Rider to push a run across, making it 5-2, but the rookie pitcher worked out of a potential jam to strand a pair of runners on base.

Groskritz settled down after a shaky second inning in which Iona did the majority of its damage, allowing her team the opportunity to start a rally and make a come back in the fifth inning. DeJianne retired the first two batters of the inning, but a single, followed by a double plated a run. A pinch-hit single scored another run, making it a 5-4 game, and forcing DeJianne out of the contest. DiGuilio entered in relief, allowing an infield single and then recording the final out of the inning to maintain Iona's lead.

DiGuilio then worked around a leadoff single, hurling a clean inning in the sixth to keep Iona in front and provide Zazzaro with the save opportunity. Zazzaro, who earned the win in game one, entered in the seventh and closed the door on the Broncs, working around a two-out hit to complete the four-game sweep for the Maroon & Gold.

NOTABLE NUGGETS

  • Zazzaro earned the win in game one, her 12th of the season, and notched her first save of the year in game two.
  • Capuano's game one homerun was the first of her collegiate career.
  • Chilcott hit her eighth homer of the year leading off game one, the most by any player in the conference. Sheeran's game one round tripper was her fifth of the season, which ranks second in the MAAC behind Chilcott.
  • Sheeran finished the weekend with nine RBIs. The rookie hit a two-run homer today, her fifth of the season.
  • DeJianne earned her second win of the season, scattering 10 hits and allowing four runs (three earned) across 4.2 innings pitched.
  • All five of Iona's runs in game two were unearned. Groskritz scattered six hits, walked three batters and struck out four Gaels.
  • Chilcott reached base in both games, becoming the first Gael this season to reach base in 10-plus straight games.
  • Iona's four-game sweep of Rider is the first of the season for the Gaels. The wins put the Maroon & Gold in sole possession of first place in the conference.

AROUND THE MAAC

  • Manhattan split with Niagara in Lewiston, winning the first of two games on Sunday.
  • Saint Peter's won its first two games of the season, sweeping Quinnipiac on Sunday.  
  • Monmouth and Marist split on Sunday, with the Hawks winning the second game handily.

UP NEXT

Iona hosts Quinnipiac on Thursday, April 22 at Donald E. Walsh Field for two games, beginning at 1:00 p.m. in New Rochelle.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Be sure to follow Iona College athletics on all social media platforms:
ICGaels: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (E-Mail Updates)
Iona Softball: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (E-Mail Updates)



Print Friendly Version