BUFFALO, NY - The Iona College softball team fell to Canisius in its first game on Friday, eventually moving to the elimination bracket and dropping its second contest to Siena. The Gaels just fell short of a trip to the championship game for the first time since 2014 after an improbable run as the lowest seed entering the conference tournament.
GAME ONE: CANISIUS 2, IONA 1
Kara Zazzaro, the 2021 MAAC Pitcher of the Year, faced off with the 2022 MAAC Pitcher of the Year, Megan Giese of Canisius, with a trip to the MAAC Championship game on the line. Both pitchers dazzled, showing why they earned the league's top accolade for a pitcher in its two most recent seasons.
Zazzaro started her day by retiring the first three batters she faced, matching Giese's effort in the opening half of the first. Both sides put runners on in the second inning; Sheeran walked but was the Gaels' only baserunner. Zazzaro allowed a lead-off single, but that runner was erased trying to steal second. She then worked around a two-out walk to keep things scoreless through two full innings.
A two-out single by MAAC Player of the Year Erin Hufford led to the final out when she was thrown out by Jamie Sheeran trying to steal second, the second consecutive frame that Iona's backstop cut down a would-be base stealer.
Iona's second base runner of the afternoon came in the fourth when Emma Capuano dropped down a bunt and reached first after the Griffs' second baseman missed the bag with her foot. Giese retired the next two Gaels to leave a runner on and complete her fourth scoreless frame.
Canisius put two runners on in the bottom of the fourth, threatening for the game's first run with just one away. Zazzaro induced a pop up on the infield for the second out, then struck out the next batter to leave a pair on the base paths.
Brianna Buck smoked a single through the left side of the infield with two outs in the fifth, breaking up Giese's no-hit bid. Natalia Meray flew out to keep things scoreless and send things to the home half of the fifth.
Zazzaro cruised through the bottom of the fifth, but ran into immediate trouble facing the top of the Griffs' order in the sixth. Hufford laced a lead-off double and hung out there while Zazzaro took care of Christie McGee-Ross for the first out. A wild pitch placed a runner on third for the first time in the contest, but Iona's ace struck out Canisius' three and four hitters to move the game to the seventh inning, still scoreless.
Sheeran hit the second offering of the seventh off the glove of Hufford at the fence in left, bouncing up and over the fence to grant the Gaels a 1-0 lead. After two quick outs, Brianna Bailey singled and Buck walked to put two runners on, but Giese worked out of it with just the one run coming across.
Zazzaro went back out to the circle to try and finish what she started and send the Maroon & Gold to the championship game. She got the first two outs of the frame without much issue, but allowed a single and then walked the next two batters to load the bases. Hufford slapped a ball to short that she beat out, sliding head first into the bag, allowing the game-tying run to score. McGee-Ross followed with a liner through the left side that walked it off for the host institution and sent Iona into an elimination game later that day.
GAME TWO: SIENA 7, IONA 4
The Gaels jumped all over the Saints to begin the second game of the afternoon, scoring four times in the top of the first. Three of Iona's first four batters reached base safely, via base hits by Chilcott and Capuano and a free pass for Sheeran. With one out and the bases juiced, Haywood hit a single that scored two runs and forced Siena to change pitchers just five batters in. Flukey greeted Adriana Romano with a double down the line, scoring two more runners. Romano worked her way out of the inning, but not before the Maroon & Gold had grabbed a 4-0 lead before heading out to the field.
Siena, facing elimination for the fourth time since losing the opening game on Wednesday to the Gaels, did not go quietly. The Saints struck for three runs against Samantha Rieb in the home half of the first, scoring two of their three runs with two outs. Rieb got a big strikeout to end the inning and leave the bases loaded in the first, keeping the lead for the moment.
After a scoreless top of the second, Siena took the lead and chased Rieb. An infield single, a sacrifice bunt and a double tied things up with one out. The Saints did more damage with two outs, scoring three more times before the inning ended. Maddy Lowry relieved Rieb with two outs and a runner on third, allowing her inherited runner to score and make it 7-4 before getting the final out.
A pair of one-out singles allowed Iona to bring the tying run to the dish in the third, but Romano escaped. Lowry pitched very well in relief, submitting two more scoreless innings to keep Iona in the game. Romano was on however, holding off the Gaels' offense throughout.
Kara Zazzaro started the sixth for the Maroon & Gold, tossing a third consecutive scoreless inning for Iona. Offensively, Iona did not put a runner on in the sixth or the seventh, falling 7-4 and exiting the tournament after a great run as the sixth seed.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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