HAMDEN, CT— The Iona University softball team earned a doubleheader sweep over Quinnipiac to start Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play on Saturday afternoon. The Maroon & Gold picked up a 4-3 win in game one then had a hit parade in game two for a 9-1 victory in six innings for the sweep at Quinnipiac Softball Field.
Junior
Brooke Acker led the Gaels in game one with three runs batted in. Senior
Brianna Bailey recorded the go-ahead run batted in against the Bobcats. Game two saw five Gaels register multiple hits, led by a two-home run game from junior
Hailey Guerrero. Junior
Brianna Fischer went 5-for-6 with two runs scored and a run batted in in the two games.
GAME ONE: IONA 4, QUINNIPIAC 3
Iona kicked off the opening game with runners on second and third with one out in the top half of the first inning. Acker stepped to the dish and roped a two-run triple off the wall in right field for the early advantage.
The Gaels struck again in the top of the third inning as Fischer recorded a one-out double to left field and then swiped third. After an infield popup, Acker entered the batter's box once again. This time she lined an RBI single to right field for the 3-0 lead.
Sophomore
Allison Hoppe held the Bobcats in check through the opening four frames, as the home team stranded a base runner in each inning and didn't secure its first hit till one-out in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Quinnipiac rallied in the bottom of the fifth inning capitalizing on an Iona error early. And then with two outs and a runner on second, an RBI single and RBI triple followed to make it a one run game. The Bobcats would capitalize on one more Iona error in the infield to tie the game up at 3-3.
Iona responded in the next half inning as Acker secured her third hit of the game with a single up the middle. Sophomore
Leah Palmer entered the game as a pinch runner. Bailey was the next batter up and delivered a double to right center to score Palmer from first and gave Iona a 4-3 lead.
The Bobcats looked to get the tying run home from third base in the bottom of the sixth, but Hoppe escaped trouble with an inning ending flyout. The sophomore righty then retired the side in order in the seventh to secure the opening victory of conference play.
GAME TWO: IONA 9, QUINNIPIAC 1 (6 inn.)
Iona carried momentum over into game two, striking in the opening frame once again. It was clutch two-out hitting with runners on first and second. Bailey delivered the opening run on an RBI single to center field. Senior
Kenadie Gonzalez followed with an RBI single to left field for the early 2-0 lead.
The Gaels tacked on another run in the second inning as junior
Hannah Werth picked up a two-out single up the middle. Fischer then lined a triple to right centerfield for the 3-0 advantage.
Iona kept it rolling in third as Acker worked a walk then advanced to third on a one-out double from Gonzalez. Rookie
Sara Piña scored both runners on a two-RBI triple to right field to extend the lead. The Gaels scored in the fourth consecutive inning as Guerrero hit a two-run shot over the left field wall for the 7-0 lead.
Senior
Samantha Rieb was cruising through the first four innings in the circle for the Maroon & Gold. She held the Bobcats to just three hits while striking out three batters.
Quinnipiac finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth inning, working the bases loaded with one out. A run would score on a fielder's choice as the Gaels opted to get the runner out at third. Rieb ended the frame with a strikeout swinging with runners on first and second.
Iona capped the scoring in the sixth inning as Fischer connected on a one-out double to left center. Guerrero then connected on her second home run of the game with a two-run shot down the right field line.Rieb retired the side in order in the sixth with a strikeout for the third and final out to seal the run rule win for the Gaels.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- Fischer went 5-for-6 with three doubles and a triple along with two runs scored and an RBI in the two games today.
- Acker posted her second three-hit and three-RBI game of the season in the first contest.
- Iona outhit Quinnipiac 11-4 in game two.
- Werth tallied her second multi-hit game in game two and scored three runs out of the leadoff spot.
- Bailey added her third multi-hit game while Gonzalez poster her second two-hit game of the season.
- Guerrero registered her second multi-home run game of the year, going 2-for-4 with three runs scored and four runs batted in in the second game of the twin bill.
- Hoppe scattered four hits and fanned five batters in the complete game for her fourth win of the season in game one.
- Rieb yielded just one run on four hits and struck out five in the game two win.
UP NEXT
The Gaels go for the series sweep against Quinnipiac on Sunday, March 23 with a noon start.