BUFFALO, NY - The Iona University softball team defeated No. 4 Fairfield, 2-0, on Friday at Demske Sports Complex in the elimination bracket of the 2023 MAAC Championship.
Kara Zazzaro became Iona's all-time leader in career strikeouts in Iona's first game, ending her career with 812 career strikeouts.
GAME ONE: IONA 2, FAIRFIELD 0
Emma Capuano continued to swing a hot bat, blasting a two-out solo homer in the second inning to open the scoring against Fairfield. It was Capuano's second round-tripper in as many days and again would prove to be all the offense that Zazzaro needed in the circle.
Zazzaro was dealing again, retiring the first 14 batters she faced before allowing a two-out single to Haley Updegraff. It would be Fairfield's only hit of the contest, as Zazzaro cruised through the final seven batters to secure a third victory for the Maroon & Gold facing elimination.
In the second inning, Zazzaro registered the 803rd strikeout of her illustrious career to become Iona's all-time leader in strikeouts for an individual career. The strikeout looking of Paravati officially put Zazzaro ahead of Sarah Jackson, who held the record for more than a decade before Zazzaro cemented herself alone at the top of the record books.
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In the midst of Zazzaro's 14 consecutive Stags set down, the Gaels added another run in the top of the fifth inning. Capuano opened the frame with a single, her second hit of the afternoon, and moved into scoring position on Brooke Acker's sacrifice bunt. Destiny Nardello, starting in place of Jessica Chilcott, singled through the left side to score Capuano and create a two-run cushion for Iona.
Zazzaro needed just five pitches to retire the side in order in the seventh, putting the finishing touches on a complete-game, one-hit shutout.
GAME TWO: CANISIUSÂ 4Â IONA 2
Samantha Rieb started Iona's fourth elimination game of the tournament against the top-seeded Golden Griffs. Canisius pushed across the first run of the game after a throwing error on a steal of third base.
In the second inning, a one-out walk followed by a hit batter and a sacrifice put two runners in scoring position with two outs. A single off Rieb's glove plated a run and after an infield single re-loaded the bases with two outs, Christie McGee-Ross drew a four-pitch walk to make it a three-run game. Rieb induced a grounder to first to end the inning and leave three Griffs on base.
Canisius made it 4-0 in the third inning with another two-out hit, this time a single through the box by her opposition in the circle, Megan Giese. The Griffs' Giese returned to the mound in the fourth inning, having allowed just one hit, a Kayla Haywood double, in her first turn through the Iona batting order. Giese finished a fourth scoreless inning before surrendering a pair of runs in the fifth.
Allie Taylor ended the shutout with a homer over the left-field fence, her first of the season. Hannah Werth followed with a single and a walk drawn by Jamie Sheeran put two runners on with two outs. The two-out rally started by Taylor continued when Capuano singled into left center to plate Werth and cut Iona's deficit in half. Kaylin Flukey nearly blooped in a single to score another, but the speedy McGee-Ross tracked it down in center to stop the bleeding for the Griffs.
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Zazzaro, who entered for Rieb in the fourth after a leadoff double, completed a second straight scoreless inning out of the pen with a pair of strikeouts in the fifth. Giese returned to form in the fifth, striking out the first two Iona hitters before working around a two-out walk to Acker with her third punchout of the frame.
Despite a leadoff single by Taylor in the seventh, Iona could not muster another run and lost to Canisius in the elimination bracket final, ending Iona's run in the 2023 MAAC Championship.
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