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Iona University Athletics

Jess Chilcott
Anthony Sorbellini
3
Marist MARSB 11-12, 11-12 MAAC
9
Winner Iona College ION 17-9, 17-9 MAAC
Marist MARSB
11-12, 11-12 MAAC
3
Final
9
Iona College ION
17-9, 17-9 MAAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Marist MARSB 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 3 8 1
Iona College ION 3 0 0 0 1 5 X 9 12 1

W: Zazzaro, Kara (15-2) L: Teague, Nicole (1-3)

2
Marist MARSB 11-13, 11-13 MAAC
3
Winner Iona College ION 18-9, 18-9 MAAC
Marist MARSB
11-13, 11-13 MAAC
2
Final
3
Iona College ION
18-9, 18-9 MAAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Marist MARSB 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 5 2
Iona College ION 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 3 5 2

W: Zazzaro, Kara (16-2) L: Phippen, Calista (4-5)

Game Recap: Softball | | Jack Clark

Iona Sweeps Doubleheader in Walk-Off Fashion Against Marist

NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona College softball program swept Marist on Saturday afternoon at Donald E. Walsh Field. The Gaels, who have struggled to win the second game of doubleheaders this season, hung tough in game two and got the win after Natalia Meray hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh.

GAME ONE: (IONA 9, MARIST 3)

Saturday afternoon began with a lineout, an error and a walk. With two of the first batters reaching and just one out in the opening frame, Kaley Coltrain singled through the box to plate the day's first run. Zazzaro retired the next two batters to strand a pair of runners on first and second and limit the damage.

Jamie Sheeran fired back for Iona in the home half of the first inning, sending a no-doubt homer over the fence in left field to give the Maroon & Gold a 2-1 lead. Alana Evans singled with two outs and eventually came around to score Iona's third run after Kayla Haywood singled into right field and an error allowed everyone to move up two bases. Marist's Nicole Teague got Emma Capuano to strike out swinging to end the first.

The Red Foxes cut into the lead in the top of the third. A leadoff single, followed by a sacrifice bunt, set Marist up with a runner in scoring position. Coltrain delivered an RBI single in her second-straight at bat, scoring Sam Freeland. Another single and a stolen base put Zazzaro in a hole. With runners on second and third and one out, Zazzaro protected her one-run lead by striking out Shea Walsh and getting Meg Davis to pop up.

After a couple of early runs for each side, the game turned into a pitchers duel. Jessica Chilcott made her presence felt offensively in the fifth inning. Meghan Haff entered in relief in the bottom of the fifth and was immediately greeted by Chilcott, who hit a nuke, giving the Gaels a 4-2 cushion late in the game. A Natalia Meray double gave Iona the chance to add more runs, but the senior was cut down after being caught in between second and third on a throw down to second. The Maroon & Gold eventually loaded the bases with two outs, but Capuano flied out to center to end the inning.

Marist cut away at the lead in the sixth, scoring on a Freeland single up the middle with two away. A four-pitch walk loaded the bases, but Zazzaro struck out Coltrain swinging to leave the bases juiced.

After Marist took a sliver of momentum in its half of the sixth, Iona grabbed it right back, and shut the door on any hope of a comeback for the visitors. Maggie Foley led off with an infield single, then moved up to second on a Brielle Hill sacrifice. The Red Foxes intentionally walked Chilcott on four pitches, then unintentionally gave a free pass to Meray on four pitches, loading the bases. Sheeran singled home one run, giving Iona a 5-3 lead. After Haff walked Ciarra DiGuilio to load the bases again, Teague re-entered. Evans followed up with a two-RBI double to left, then Haywood cleared the bases with a two-RBI single into center to give the Maroon & Gold a 9-3 lead.

Zazzaro worked around a pair of singles in the top of the seventh to shut down Marist in the final frame and take game one. Capuano dove to her left and tagged third with her glove hand to end the game and help her side to a 9-3 victory.

GAME TWO: (IONA 3, MARIST 2)

Caroline Baratta greeted Alyssa DeJianne by leading off game two with a double down the line. She moved up sixty feet on a passed ball, but DeJianne stranded her by striking out the next three batters. Calista Phippen started game two for the visitors, working around a two-out single by Sheeran to toss a scoreless opening inning.

Neither side truly broke through until the fifth inning. Marist scored twice in the fifth, but Iona answered with two of its own in the home half of the fifth. A single, sacrifice, error and a stolen base set the Red Foxes up with runners on second and third with one out. Hunter Hand dribbled one back to DeJianne in front of the mound. Iona's starter proceeded to throw the ball over Sheeran's glove, allowing the lead runner and the trail runner to score. Hand eventually moved up to third after a Baratta double, but was picked off third base trying to get too big of a lead. The inning ended after Meray dove to her left to snag a liner out of mid-air and save a run.

Iona's half of the fifth frame began with a Haywood double down the rightfield line. An error at second base allowed Capuano to reach to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Capuano stole second, forcing a throw to second that skipped into center and past the centerfielder, allowing both runners to score for the Maroon & Gold. A two-out walk to Chilcott amounted to nothing after Meray struck out swinging to end the fifth.

Iona would walk things off in the bottom of the seventh. Last licks for Iona began with a single by Haywood and a Capuano walk. Phippen struck out Foley and Hill to stymie the threat for a moment, but Chilcott worked a 13-pitch walk to load the bases for Meray with two outs in the seventh. Meray smoked the third pitch she saw down the line past the third baseman, scoring Haywood and completing the sweep of Marist.

NOTABLE NUGGETS

  • Zazzaro earned the win in both games today, moving to 15-2 on the season. The junior has won eight games since her last loss on April 11 vs. Canisius.
  • Sheeran's homer in game one was her ninth of the season, giving her the team lead. Chilcott followed up with a homer of her own, tying the rookie for the team lead, in the bottom of the fifth.
  • DeJianne struck out a career-best four batters in the second game. The rookie's first four outs of the afternoon were punchouts.
  • Iona moved into a three-way tie for third place in the MAAC standings with the two wins.
  • Sheeran registered multiple hits in each game today, the seventh time this year she has done so. The rookie has also now hit safely in 12 straight games and reached base safely in 16 straight contests.
  • Chilcott extended her reached-base streak to a team-high 17 straight games.
  • Haywood, who recorded two hits in both games, has now reached base in 10 straight games. She has hit safely in six consecutive contests.

AROUND THE MAAC

  • Monmouth took two games from Fairfield on Saturday, shutting out the Stags in game two.
  • Niagara swept Saint Peter's, outscoring the Peacocks 13-3.
  • Canisius and Rider split on Saturday. The Broncs scored six runs in the top of the seventh of game two, eventually winning 7-6.
  • Siena swept Quinnipiac, moving into a three-way tie for third place in the conference with Iona and Fairfield.

UP NEXT

Iona and Marist return to action tomorrow with first pitch scheduled for noon at Donald E. Walsh Field. Both games of the doubleheader will be streamed on ESPN3.

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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