NASHVILLE, TN — The Iona University softball team concluded its weekend in the Music City with a pair of defeats to Belmont on Saturday evening. The Gaels fell 6-0 in game one and 8-0 in five innings in game two as the Bruins earned the sweep at E.S. Rose Park.
GAME ONE: BELMONT 6, IONA 0
Belmont started the game with an RBI double and sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first for the 2-0 lead. The Bruins added one more run in the bottom of the second capitalizing on an Iona error with two outs.
The scoring ended in the sixth inning with three more runs for the Bruins on three hits and an error Gaels for the 6-0 win.
Iona was held to four hits in game one, as seniors
Jamie Sheeran and
Kaylin Flukey along with sophomore
Brooke Acker and freshman
MJ Nicholson all recorded a hit. Sheeran was the lone Gael with an extra base hit with a two-out double in the sixth inning. Junior
Samantha Rieb suffered the loss in the circle, pitching all six innings for. Iona.
GAME TWO: BELMONT 8, IONA 0 (5 Inn.)
The Bruins broke open game two in the second with a three-run double to left center with one out and a two-out two-run double through the left side with two outs for the 5-0 lead.
Iona was retired in order in each of the first three innings of play. Senior
Emma Capuano got the first hit of the game in the fourth with a leadoff single to left field but was tagged out at second trying to stretch the hit into a double. Senior
Kayla Haywood followed with a single to right. The Gaels had back-to-back flyouts to end the inning.
Belmont recorded three more runs in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run single up the middle and sacrifice fly to left field to jump out in front 8-0.
Iona's last at bats were in the top of the fifth as the first two batters were retired in order. Sophomore
Alivia Lichtner posted the Gaels final hit with a single through the left side before a strikeout concluded the game.
UP NEXT
The Gaels return north next weekend for a four-game slate in the Eagle Round Robin hosted by Boston College. Iona will take on Holy Cross and Boston College on Saturday, March 16 with a noon matchup against the Crusaders at Harrington Athletics Village.