NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona University softball team swept Siena on Saturday afternoon at Donald E. Walsh Field, clinching the No. 6 seed in the 2023 MAAC Championship.
Alivia Lichtner hit a walk-off sacrifice fly in game one and the Gaels run-ruled the Saints in game two to complete the sweep and clinch a playoff spot.
GAME ONE: IONA 4, SIENA 3
After senior day festivities, Kara Zazzaro started the day with a 1-2-3 first inning. The Gaels got on the board against Siena's Ava Fitzmaurice in the home half of the first courtesy of a Kaylin Flukey run-scoring ground out. The rally began with a double by Jamie Sheeran, followed by a Jessica Chilcott single.
Staked to an early lead, Zazzaro retired the side in order in the second and third innings before her offense added another run in the bottom of the third. Flukey plated her second run of the afternoon with a single that landed between the shortstop and left fielder with the sun playing a factor in the play. The sun-aided bloop allowed a run to score, but Siena cut down Sheeran trying to score from first to end the inning.
Isabella Pardo registered Siena's first hit off Zazzaro to lead off the fourth with her team trailing 2-0, but the Saints made nothing of the lead off hit. Siena put the leadoff hitter on in the fifth as well after a fielding error, but once more Zazzaro retired the next three batters to keep the shutout intact.
The Saints broke through against Zazzaro in the sixth inning to cut their deficit in half. The frame began with two quick outs, but a pair of two-out hits plated a run. Zazzaro stranded the tying run in scoring position with a strikeout to end the sixth.
Kayla Haywood gave Iona an insurance marker in the sixth with a two-out single, scoring pinch runner Haley Weaver to push the lead back to two runs heading into the final frame. Down to their final out, the Saints rallied to score twice and even the contest at 3-3, but Zazzaro left a pair of runners on base to keep it tied and give Iona a chance to win it in the seventh.
The inning began with a Brooke Acker fly ball to right field that was dropped, again aided by the bright sun in New Rochelle on Saturday, allowing Acker to scamper all the way to third base. Emma Capuano hit a ball sharply that shortstop Sabrina Vargas dove to stop, keeping Acker at third but allowing Capuano to reach. Lichtner followed with a fly ball deep enough to right to allow pinch runner Allie Taylor to score just ahead of the tag and walk off the Saints in game one.
GAME TWO: IONA 15, SIENA 5 (5 INNINGS)
Needing a win in game two to clinch a spot in the MAAC postseason, Iona's offense was up to the task. The Maroon & Gold built an early 1-0 lead on a throwing error that allowed Hannah Werth to score the first run.
Iona would chase Siena starter Nicole Patille in the third, an inning where the Gaels scored five runs to build a commanding 6-0 lead. The sun continued to play a factor in game two, aiding Sheeran in the fashion of a leadoff triple and Flukey with a double. A run-scoring single off the bat of Haywood ended Patille's afternoon with nobody out in the third inning. Alyssa Eimont struck out Brianna Bailey for the first out of the frame, but a sun-aided triple for Acker and an RBI single by Lichtner increased Iona's lead to 6-0 through three full innings.
Samantha Rieb pitched well, scattering two hits through four scoreless innings, heading back to the circle in the fifth inning with a chance to end things after Iona put up a nine spot in the fourth to build a 15-0 lead. The Gaels plated the nine runs on seven hits, with eight of the nine runs scoring with two outs.
With the huge lead, Rieb needed just three outs with eight runs to work with. The Saints managed five runs in the frame, all of which came with two outs, but it wasn't enough to send things to a sixth inning. The final out clinched a senior day sweep and a playoff spot for the Maroon & Gold.
UP NEXT
Iona, the No. 6 seed in the 2023 MAAC Championship, will head to Buffalo, New York for the MAAC Tournament, being hosted by No. 1 seed Canisius. Iona will face No. 3 Marist in the first game of the tournament at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 10. No. 2 Mount St. Mary's awaits the winner of Iona/Marist.
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