NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Despite 11 hits and seven earned walks, the Iona College softball program fell short against UT Martin in a slugfest, 14-10. Junior Catcher Tori Danner had a team-high three hits and four runs batted in to the Gaels in a game where they and Skyhawks combined for 36 total baserunners.
Senior First Basemen Kristen Turner hit her second homerun in as many days to give the Maroon & Gold a 2-0 following its first at-bat. Her blast scored sophomore centerfielder Marisa Gergel who walked in the No. 2 hole.
UT Martin retook the lead with three runs in the bottom of the first and then chipped in two additional come the third. Iona didn’t shy away from the 503 deficit, instead they rose to the occasion and dropped a seven run and seven hit top of the fourth. Danner led the inning off with her sixth homer of the season, and that was follow by four straight hits book-ended by sophomore third basemen Kimberly Chiaparelli and senior left fielder Ashlyn Morris.
Danner got up again in the fourth as the Gaels batted around; her second go-around resulted in an error on the Skyhawk first basemen and two additional runs for head coach Melissa Inouye’s team.
The Skyhawks scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth and found themselves down 10-7 come the bottom of the sixth inning after Danner hit her second of the game for the Gaels.
The tide turned in the top bottom half of the sixth; UT Martin put up a seven-spot on five hits, one error, two walks and one wild pitch. Junior Rachel Williams started the cleanse with a two-run double. At this point, freshman Marnie Skinner, who came on in relief of junior Jessica Harkness, was relieved by sophomore Alana Evans.
UT Martin welcomed Iona’s victor yesterday against Maryland with a RBI single from senior Renate Meckl. Still with nobody out, she stole second base to get into scoring position. Evans stepped up and struck out two straight in an effort to keep the contest knotted at 10-10. It faltered when sophomore Alli Fulcher tripled to right center to give the Skyhawks a game-clinching 11-10 lead. They’d add here more runs to put Iona in a whole come its final at-bat in the top of the seventh.
Iona was retired in order in the top of the seventh to clinch its overall record to 6-6 thus far this season.
Harkness began the game and went 2.1 innings, allowing five earned runs on five hits and two walks. Skinner allowed five runs, four earned, in 2.2 innings. Evans closed Iona’s outing in the rubber allowing four unearned runs. Skinner was credited with the loss, dropping her season record to 3-4.
Senior shortstop Katie Newton was the lone starting Gael not to register a hit, but she did score one run and earn an RBI. Turner and Chiapparelli each had two hits with freshman Rebecca Gabert, sophomore second basemen Hailey Thompson, Morris and Gergel all notching one hit. Gergel also walked a game-high three times.
Tomorrow the Maroon & Gold look for redemption against Weber State at 2:30 PM, and the Gaels will play host UC Riverside at 5:00 PM.