NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The Iona College softball team fell to the Hofstra University Pride Wednesday afternoon by a final score of 13 to 5 in five innings. The Gaels had one bad inning in which they allowed eight runs, and despite two big two-run blasts from junior Kristen Turner and sophomore Tori Danner, the Maroon & Gold fell in their final non-conference game of the season.
Freshman Alana Evans got the start on the mound, going two innings, allowing two earned runs on three walks while striking out a pair. Senior Jordan Courage started the third, and she would only last two-thirds of an inning; Hofstra battered around the ball off the veteran, hitting seven base-knocks in route to scoring seven runs.
Sophomore Jessica Harkness came in relief and escaped further trouble in the third; however she’d last less than one total inning, vacating the mound in the fourth after allowing three runs on four hits. Senior Carly Argyle came in to pitch the final inning and two-third.
Hofstra scored their 13 runs on 15 hits and six walks. Junior Michaela Transue and sophomore Brielle Pietrafesa hit round-trippers for the Pride, their sixth and seventh of the season respectively. Turner hit her third homerun of the season for Iona, and Danner’s was her first of the season.
Freshman right fielder Marisa Gergel had two hits batting in the three-hole for the Gaels; junior centerfielder Kelsey Long also had a pair of hits.
The game against the Hofstra was the last non-conference contest of the season for Iona. This weekend the trek out toward western New York to take on both Niagara University and Canisius College.