LOUDONVILLE, NY – Siena Softball (0-2, 0-2) took the field for the first time in 380 days Friday afternoon, falling in a pair of close contests to MAAC rival Iona (5-1, 5-1). The Saints dropped a 4-3 decision in game one of the season-opening doubleheader, while the Gaels completed the sweep with an 8-6 win in game two.
Friday's doubleheader marked the first conference action for Siena since May 2019, and kicked off the Casey Bump era in program history. It marked the first time action for the team since dropping a doubleheader to Monmouth on April 29, 2019.
Game 1: Iona 4, Siena 3
The Saints got on the board in the bottom of the first right out of the gate, with sophomore Maritza Diaz drawing a walk with the bases loaded to send in junior Sabrina Vargas. After the Saints left the bases loaded in the first inning and Iona retired the side in order in the following frame, the Gaels put up a crooked number in the top of the third, with a pair of RBI singles and a sacrifice fly getting the job done. Sophomore Nicole Patille was handed the ball in the circle for the Saints to start, giving up three earned runs off four hits, with a strikeout thrown and six walks in what turned out to be a three-inning no-decision.
With senior right-hander Taylor Rhinehart stepping in to pitch the final four innings of the game, the Saints rallied to tie the contest at three in the bottom of the fourth. Diaz and Rhinehart sent balls over the left field fence in consecutive at-bats, marking the first career home run for Diaz and the fifth in a Siena uniform for Rhinehart. Iona re-took a lead that it would not relinquish in the top of the sixth, with Natalia Meray launching a ball to left for the Gaels. The Saints stranded the game-tying run in scoring position in the bottom of the frame, and were sent home in order in their final chance to tie.
Rhinehart (0-1) took the loss in the circle for Siena, allowing the game-winning run on four hits while walking one and striking out a pair during her four inning relief outing. Iona's Kara Zazzaro (4-0) earned the complete-game victory to remain undefeated in the circle on the year, allowing three earned runs while walking four and striking out eight.
Game 2: Iona 8, Siena 6
Siena once again struck first in the bottom of the game-opening inning, with sophomore Angelina Stile scoring Vargas on an infield RBI single. With sophomore AllionSpeshyock getting the start in the circle for the Saints, Iona's bats came alive for the long ball, with the Gaels putting together a string of five home runs over the next four innings. Jamie Sheeran and Jessica Chilcott each sent homers over the fence in both the third and fourth innings, with Sheeran knocking a solo shot and a two-run bomb, and Chilcott stringing together a pair of the two-run variety. Sheeran would add a third home run in the sixth with a solo shot to left field.
Siena entered the bottom of the seventh inning trailing, 8-2, but still had enough life in them for a four-run rally before the sun set on Siena Softball Field. After a one-out single allowed Vargas to reach third, she ran home for a third time on the day by Stile, who singled to left field to make it 8-3. Sophomore Emma McLaughlin stepped up with two on and two out and sent in Diaz on an RBI single of her own to center field. Making her first collegiate appearance in the second game of the day, freshman Mikala Fletcher put the Saints in striking distance with a 2 RBI double to left center that plated McLaughlin and Stile. Classmate Isabella Pardo would send home Fletcher on an RBI double in the next at-bat, prompting an Iona pitching change and the final out of the game.
Iona freshman pitcher Alyssa DeJianne (1-0) picked up her first career victory in the circle despite the rally, allowing six runs on 10 hits in six-and-two-third innings, while walking four and striking out three. Graduate student Ciarra DeiGuilio came in to record the final out of the game, and picked up her first save of the season in one-third of an inning. Shespyock (0-1) took the loss after allowing three runs on as many hits in three innings, while Patille gave up four runs in two-thirds of an inning of action and Rhinehart allowed one run in three hits in the final 3.1 innings in the circle.
Siena and Iona will be back at it at Siena Softball Field on Saturday, March 27, to wrap the four-game weekend series that was pushed up one day due to the threat of inclement weather. Game times for Saturday's action are set for 1 PM & 3 PM.
