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Iona University Athletics

Jess Chilcott
Stockton Photo Inc.
1
Quinnipiac QUI 6-17, 4-15 MAAC
7
Winner Iona College ION 15-7, 15-7 MAAC
Quinnipiac QUI
6-17, 4-15 MAAC
1
Final
7
Iona College ION
15-7, 15-7 MAAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Quinnipiac QUI 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 3
Iona College ION 1 0 3 1 2 0 X 7 10 3

W: Zazzaro, Kara (13-2) L: McGraw (3-2)

6
Winner Quinnipiac QUI 7-17, 5-15 MAAC
5
Iona College ION 15-8, 15-8 MAAC
Winner
Quinnipiac QUI
7-17, 5-15 MAAC
6
Final
5
Iona College ION
15-8, 15-8 MAAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Quinnipiac QUI 0 2 1 2 0 1 0 6 9 1
Iona College ION 0 1 1 2 0 0 1 5 9 1

W: McGraw (4-2) L: DeJianne, Alyssa (2-5)

Game Recap: Softball | | Jack Clark

Iona Softball Splits With Quinnipiac on Thursday

NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona College softball team took one of two form Quinnipiac on Thursday afternoon at Mazzella Field. Junior Kara Zazzaro, the reigning MAAC Pitcher of the Week, tossed a complete-game two-hitter in game one to win her 13th contest of the season. Freshman Jamie Sheeran, fresh off of her MAAC Rookie of the Week honor, hit a three-run homer to give Iona a lead for good.

GAME ONE: (IONA 7, QUINNIPIAC 1)

Iona's offense opened up the scoring in the bottom half of the first after Zazzaro worked around a leadoff walk and an error by striking out the next three hitters. Kaelene Walter singled to right and Jessica Chilcott came around to score the game's first run. Ciarra DiGuilio singled with one out to move Walter up to third, but was cut down as she tried to advance to second on the throw to the plate from the outfield. Quinnipiac's Tori McGraw got Sheeran to bounce out to short to end the opening frame.

Another walk to begin the inning allowed the Bobcats to get a runner into scoring position after a sacrifice bunt. An error on the left side of the infield put runners on the corners with just one out, and Quinnipiac tied the game up on a high chopper to second base that Kayla Haywood fired on to first for the second out. Zazzaro got a grounder back to her at the mound that she handled to conclude the top of the second. McGraw stranded Emma Capuano on second base to get through her second inning of work unscathed.

Sheeran came through big in her second at bat of the afternoon in the bottom of the third, blasting a homer to the opposite field to drive in three runs and give the Maroon & Gold a 4-1 advantage in the scoring column. Haywood followed with a two-out triple, Iona's first three-bagger of the season, but McGraw struck Alana Evans out looking to stop the bleeding.

Zazzaro retired the side in order in the fourth and the fifth, then got some insurance from her offense in the home half of the fifth frame. Sheeran singled to start things, then a walk and hit by pitch loaded the bases for the Gaels with nobody out. Capuano and Brianna Buck, who pinch hit for Brielle Hill, both reached on a fielder's choice, allowing Quinnipiac to cut down the lead runner at the plate on both instances. Chilcott plated two runners with a hard single through the right side of the infield to pad Iona's lead, 7-1.

Zazzaro's had retired seven straight batters before Karolyn Walker reached on an error to begin the sixth inning. Iona's starter would still manage to face the minimum in the inning with some help from Sheeran, who threw out a would-be base stealer to end the inning after Zazzaro punched out Kayla Thomas. Iona put the first two hitters on in the sixth inning, which represented the game-ending runs, but could not bring either home to enact the mercy rule.

Zazzaro would finish what she started, getting the final three outs after a leadoff single in the seventh. The win was the 13th of the season for the junior from Southington, Connecticut and the fifth straight for the Gaels.

GAME TWO: (QUINNIPIAC 6, IONA 5)

McGraw drew the start in game two as well for the Bobcats, facing off with Alyssa DeJianne. Despite a single to begin the top of the first, DeJianne managed to start her afternoon off with a clean inning. Just like her counterpart, McGraw stranded a runner after a single by Natalia Meray in the Iona half of the opening inning.

The Bobcats got the scoring started in game two thanks to a two-out rally. Sydney Tedim was hit by a two-strike pitch and then moved up to second on a passed ball. A four-pitch walk and then a double steal put Bobcats on second and third. Cy Gonzalez singled home a pair of runners before DeJianne got a ground ball to escape the inning.

The Gaels scratched across a run on a wild pitch in their half of the inning, trimming the deficit in half. Evans doubled to the opposite field to put Haywood on third with one out, then both runners moved up on a wild pitch, getting Iona on the board. A pair of walks loaded the bases with two outs, but McGraw got Meray to fly out to the warning track to end the threat for the Maroon & Gold.

Another two-out base hit in the top of the third gave the Bobcats a 3-1 lead. The run was unearned on the infield single, which Meray dove to stop, because of an errant throw into centerfield from behind the plate. DeJianne left three runners on when she got a fly out off the bat of Bridget Nasir.

Iona had another prime opportunity in the third, with the bases juiced and only one out. Evans lined a ball to left that Tedim dove and caught, saving at least two runs. Walter tagged and scored to make it a 3-2 ball game, but Buck grounded out to end the inning.

The Bobcats scored for a third consecutive inning when Katherine Rodriguez sent one over the wall in center, a two-run shot that gave Quinnipiac a 5-2 lead and forced DeJianne out. DiGuilio entered in relief for the Maroon & Gold and got a pair of grounders to end the inning.

Iona answered again in its half of the fourth, with Sheeran providing the offense. The rookies single plated Chilcott and Meray, who started the Iona rally with back-to-back singles. The Gaels now trailed 5-4 and had runners on second and third with just one out. McGraw got some help from her defense to maintain the lead when Gonzalez cut down Walter, representing the tying run, at the plate. McGraw then got Buck to bounce out to short to officially end the frame and cling onto the one-run lead.

Each pitcher kept the opposition out of the run column in the fifth, but the Bobcats added insurance in the sixth. Zazzaro replaced DiGuilio with one out in the frame, inheriting a runner at second base. That runner came around to score on a Gonzalez single with two outs, giving Quinnipiac a two-run lead late. Zazzaro struck out Walker looking to end the sixth.

A leadoff walk amounted to nothing for Iona in the bottom of the sixth, but the Gaels threatened with their backs against the wall in the home half of the seventh. Evans blooped a single over the first base bag on the first pitch McGraw threw in the frame, then was pinch ran for by Haley Weaver. A wild pitch and a groundout moved Weaver to third, then she scampered home on another groundout. Iona was now behind by just one, but the bases were cleared with two outs. Chilcott hit a double down the left field line, but McGraw retired Meray with a grounder to third to secure a win for her squad in game two.

NOTABLE NUGGETS

  • Zazzaro's win in game one was her 13th of the season. The junior allowed just two hits and one run, an unearned one, while striking out 10 batters.
  • Sheeran's game one homer was her seventh of the season. The rookie finished the day 3-8 at the dish with five runs batted in.
  • Haywood hit the team's first triple of the season in Iona's game one win. The rookie registered a hit in each of the two games of the doubleheader, starting at second base in both.
  • Evans hit her second career double and now has four hits this season in 13 at bats. She had just six career hits before this season.
  • DiGuilio made her eighth relief appearance of the year in game two, pitching two innings and allowing one run on one hit.
  • Iona left 12 runners on base in game two and finished just 1-12 (.083) at the plate with runners in scoring position. Overall, the Gaels were 3-19 (.158) with runners on base in the second game.
  • Quinnipiac did a lot of damage with two outs in game two, driving in four of its six runs with two outs.
  • The Bobcats struck out 13 times against Zazzaro in her 9.2 innings of work today. DeJianne and DiGuilio did not register a strikeout, facing 28 batters across a combined 5.1 innings of work.

AROUND THE MAAC

  • Monmouth swept Saint Peter's, winning handily in game two, 16-1, in five innings.
  • Marist defeated Fairfield in game one, 6-4. The Stags earned a split with a 2-1 victory in the second game.

UP NEXT

Iona will welcome crosstown rival Manhattan to Donald E. Walsh Field on Wednesday, April 28 for a doubleheader beginning at 2:00 p.m. in New Rochelle. The game will be streamed on either ESPN3 or ESPN+.

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)



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