Siena Eliminates the Defending-Champion Iona from Softball Championship
MAAC Sports
BUFFALO, N.Y. – The number five seed Siena College eliminated defending champion and number six seed Iona College, in a 2-1 pitchers dual of the 2015 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Softball Championship at Demske Sports Complex in Buffalo, New York on the campus of Canisius College.
With the game scoreless through six innings and with one out in the bottom frame, Stephanie Viggiano blasted a triple to left center putting her in scoring position. After the next batter lined out to the pitcher for the second out of the inning, Paige Lloyd hit her tenth homerun of the season over center field, giving the Saints a 2-0 lead heading into the seventh inning.
Iona’s leadoff batter in the top of the seventh, Kristen Turner, hit a line drive into left field for a single to get the Gaels going. An RBI single by Courtney Miller would cut the lead to 2-1. After a ground out forced the second out of the inning, Amanda Gatt recorded the third out on a strikeout that retired the final batter, eliminating Iona.
Gatt (10-11) pitched all seven innings and finished the game as the winning pitcher after giving up five hits with six strikeouts. Christine Costello (6-9) gave up only three hits and also struck out six batters in a losing effort.
Siena will play on Friday at 1:30 p.m. against the winner of top-seed Canisius College and third-seed Manhattan College. Iona concludes its 2015 campaign with an overall record of 16-28.