May 7, 2011
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
Photo Gallery
Siena softball fell 7-2 and 4-3 to Iona Saturday on Senior Day, sounding a death knell for the team's MAAC Tournament hopes. The Saints needed to win out and get some help to have a chance, but fell short at Siena Field in Loudonville.
The Saints (18-25, 6-8 MAAC) jumped out to an early lead in game one, scoring two unearned runs in the bottom of the first. Samantha Ray reached base on an error, and advanced to third on another made on the same play before Shannon Jones drove her in with an RBI single. Later in the inning, Nastasha Powlowsky hit a soft grounder to third with the bases loaded, and the catcher could not reel in the throw to force the out at the plate.
That would be all the offense Siena would muster in game one, though, as Sarah Jackson settled down. She dominated over the last six innings, ending up with 15 strikeouts and allowing just two hits after the first inning. Meanwhile, the Iona bats came alive, scoring three in the third and four in the sixth to break the game open and deny starter Jessika - Jo Sandrini a record-breaking 12th win of the season.
Game two started in similar fashion, as the Saints went up 1-0 in the first after Sandrini reached base on an error to lead off the inning and pinch-runner Stefanie Sueda scored on a Jones sacrifice fly. The Gaels went up 3-1 in the fifth, forcing Siena to peck away.
The Saints got one back in their half of the fifth, as two errors and a Powlowsky RBI groundout cut the deficit to 3-2. Then, in their half of the seventh, Powlowsky came up big again, as her one-out single scored Mandy Ferro and tied the game, forcing extra innings.
However, with one out in the top of the eighth, Iona's Eileen McCann hit a go-ahead solo home run over the left field fence, putting the Gaels up 4-3. Siena tried to rally with two outs in their half of the frame, as Sandrini singled to keep hope alive. However, Ray then smacked a hard-hit line drive right at McCann in left, and she made the play to end the game.
Siena will end their 2011 season with a doubleheader at Saint Peter's on Sunday.
