VESTAL, NY - The Iona College softball team took one of two from Binghamton in a doubleheader on Saturday at the Bearcats Sports Complex. The Gaels hit three home runs in a 5-3 victory in game one. Junior
Allie Taylor hit the first two homers of her career, leaving the yard in both contests today.
GAME ONE: IONA 5, BINGHAMTON 3
Natalia Meray hit a two-out double in the top of the first inning, but was stranded there to end a scoreless first frame for Iona. Kara Zazzaro kept Binghamton off the board in the home half of the opening inning, retiring the side in order and registering a pair of strikeouts.
Jessica Chilcott opened the second inning with a bang, blasting an opposite-field homer to give the Maroon & Gold an early 1-0 lead. Taylor, making a second straight start in left for the Gaels, was hit by a pitch and reached base in her first at-bat of the afternoon. After Morgan Ritchey reached on a fielder's choice and Taylor safely made it to second, the Bearcats managed to register the first out of the frame on a Hannah Collins fly ball. A double steal put both Iona runners in scoring position with only one out, but Haley Weaver and Jamie Sheeran were set down on strikes to strand a pair.
Zazzaro mirrored her opposition in the circle by stranding a pair of runners in scoring position with two punchouts in the second. The clutch pitching from the Southington, Connecticut native kept Iona in front, though Binghamton would break through in the fourth.
A leadoff double followed by a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly evened the score in the bottom of the fourth. The Bearcats added another run and grabbed the lead on a solo shot. Binghamton's lead didn't last very long however.
With two outs and two runners on in the top of the fifth, Taylor sent a ball over the fence to put the Gaels back in front, 4-2. The round tripper was the first of the junior's collegiate career.
The Bearcats got back within one run again after a two-out error in the outfield allowed a run to cross the plate in the bottom of the fifth. Zazzaro was provided some insurance in the circle when Sheeran hit a rope over the fence in left field in the top of the seventh. Granted a two-run lead, Zazzaro and the defense behind her protected it and earned a 5-3 victory in game one of the afternoon.
GAME TWO: BINGHAMTON 10, IONA 2
Taylor didn't miss a beat, starting game two by homering to dead center, her second of the day. Binghamton's offense picked it up in game two though, hitting Iona starter Samantha Rieb for five runs in the bottom of the first frame. Three straight free passes loaded the bases before Rieb recorded her first out. A single scored a pair to give the Bearcats a lead and they would tack on three more before the end of the inning.
Rieb and the Gaels managed to keep Binghamton off the board in the second and Iona manufactured a run in the top of the third. A pair of walks and a hit by pitch had loaded the bases and with two outs, Binghamton threw down to first to try and pick off Chilcott. She eluded a tag en route to second base, allowing the other two runners to advance and make it a 5-2 game. The Bearcats put up a three-spot in the bottom of the inning, padding their lead to six runs.
Alyssa DeJianne started the fourth inning for Iona, striking out the first two hitters she faced before allowing a single and a homer. Binghamton took a 10-2 lead after four frames and retired the Gaels in order in the top of the fifth to enact the mercy rule and earn a split in the Saturday doubleheader.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- Iona's three round trippers in game one were a single-game season high for the team. Chilcott started the party with her second of the year and Sheeran's fourth of the season provided an insurance marker in the seventh. Taylor's three-run shot gave Iona the lead and was the first of her career. She hit a second bomb to lead off game two.
- Zazzaro pitched her eighth complete game of the season, limiting Binghamton to three runs (two earned) on five hits and four walks. She struck out 11 batters, the fifth time this season she has punched out at least 10. Zazzaro improved to 5-6 on the season with the victory.
- Seven of Iona's nine hits across the two games came during game one of the doubleheader. Meray was responsible for three base hits, reaching safely in all four of her plate appearances in the 5-3 win. It marked the fifth time this season that a Gael has notched three hits in a contest.
- Chilcott was the only member of the Maroon & Gold to post a multi-hit effort today, her third of the year. She did not manage a hit in game two, but drew a walk to extend her team-leading on-base streak to six straight games.
- Saturday marked the first time that Iona and Binghamton met in the program's Division I history.
UP NEXT
Tomorrow's series finale has been canceled due to impending inclement weather in the area. Iona faces Fordham on Wednesday, March 30 at Bahoshy Sports Complex. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. between the Gaels and the Rams.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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