NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The Iona University softball team held an early five-run lead before a late rally by Stony Brook to fall by a final score of 8-6 on Tuesday afternoon. The Gaels capitalized on three home runs in the middle innings before a big fifth inning by the Seawolves to swipe the non-conference finale at Donald E. Walsh Field.
Sophomore
Hailey Guerrero picked up a two-run home run in the third innings. Senior
Jamie Sheeran led the Gaels with two hits including a solo shot in the third. Junior
Brianna Bailey launched her first career home run, a two-run bomb to left field in the fourth inning.
GAME SUMMARY
Stony Brook threatened to score the first run of the game in the first and third innings with runners at third, but Iona evaded trouble with inning ending fly outs in both frames.
The Gaels offense got rolling in the third inning as freshman
Madison Campeau led off the inning with a double to left field. Sophomore
Hannah Werth followed with a bloop down the left field line to put runners at the corners. Stony Brook got two quick outs on a caught stealing at second and strikeout swinging. Guerrero then stepped to the dish and launched the 2-2 offering over the left field wall to score the first two runs of the game. Sheeran followed that up by lining the 2-0 pitch over the left field fence for back-to-back home runs and the 3-0 advantage.
Iona continued in the fourth as freshman
MJ Nicholson led off the inning with a hard single to first base. Junior
Destiny Nardello advanced pinch runner freshman
Leah Palmer to second on a sacrifice bunt. Bailey was next to the plate, connecting on the 3-2 pitch and sending over the left field wall for the 5-0 advantage.
Stony Brook's big inning came in the top of the fifth, loading the bases with one out. Back-to-back hit by pitches and a two-run single up the middle brought the score to within one. The Gaels got the second out of the inning on a ground out but both runners advanced to scoring position. An RBI single and two-run triple to right field followed to give the visitors a 7-5 lead.
Iona looked to answer in the bottom of the frame as senior
Emma Capuano led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. A strikeout followed before Sheeran came up to bat. She lined a double to the gap in right center to cut the deficit to one, 7-6.
The Seawolves pushed the lead back to two in the top of the sixth inning on a two-out home run to left field. Iona was retired in order in the last two innings as the visitors walked away with the 8-6 win.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- Guerrero registered her fourth home run of the season in the third. Her two runs driven in was the fifth multi-RBI game of the season.
- Sheeran launched her fifth home run on the year and the 42nd of her career. She tallied two hits for the 13th time this season and recorded her eighth multi-RBI game.
- Bailey's fourth inning two-run shot was her first career home run. She also tallied her second multi-RBI game of the season.
UP NEXT
Iona will host Mount St. Mary's for a weekend series at Donald E. Walsh Field for conclude the home schedule for the 2024 campaign. The series begins Saturday with a doubleheader starting at noon.
