MADEIRA BEACH, FL - The Iona University softball team dropped its morning contest to Lehigh and had its afternoon tilt with Lafayette called in the eighth inning of a 1-1 game. Iona rallied to force extra innings in game one, but the Mountain Hawks got the better of the Gaels. Later that afternoon, game two was called due to predetermined travel arrangements for both teams.
GAME ONE: LEHIGH 4, IONA 3 (8 INN.)
Iona opened the scoring on the final day of the tournament courtesy of a run-scoring single off the bat of Allie Taylor. Iona starter Kara Zazzaro tossed three clean innings before allowing a lead-off solo HR in the fourth that evened the contest at 1-1.
After both sides went scoreless in the fifth and sixth innings, Lehigh struck again to take a late lead in the seventh. Another homer off of Zazzaro put the Gaels at a deficit heading into the bottom of the last inning.
Kaylin Flukey reached on an error and Kayla Haywood followed with a single to start the bottom half of the seventh. Haley Weaver ran for Flukey and after a pitching change, her and Haywood stole second and third, respectively, to put the tying and winning runs in scoring position with no one out. After a strikeout, Taylor hit a sac fly to tie the game, but the Maroon & Gold stranded the winning 60 feet away and headed to another extra frame.
The third homer of the game for the Mountain Hawks was a back-breaker, a two-run shot in the eighth. Jamie Sheeran brought home Iona's free runner with a single to make it a one-run game, but it would be all Iona could muster against Lehigh.
GAME TWO: IONA 1, LAFAYETTE 1 (8 INN.)
Samatha Rieb started game two for Iona, working out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the opening inning. After a 1-2-3 second inning for Rieb, Iona's offense got on the board.
Freshmen Alivia Lichtner and Brooke Acker strung together back-to-back singles, the latter of the which brought home Kenadie Gonzalez to put the Maroon & Gold ahead 1-0. Iona's lead lasted three batters into the next frame before a squeeze play tied the score at one.
The game remained tied the rest of the afternoon, though Iona had the best chance late. With the winning run on second and one out in the bottom of the seventh, Haywood singled into left to move Hannah Werth up to third base. A strikeout and a line out ended Iona's threat and sent a second straight contest into extra frames. The game was called before extras due to travel considerations that were agreed upon pregame.
UP NEXT
Iona heads to Piscataway, New Jersey next Friday to play a tournament at Rutgers. The Gaels face UMass Lowell and Rutgers on both Friday and Saturday before closing out the weekend on Sunday with a single game against Holy Cross.
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