The Iona Gaels softball team started Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play with a convincing 8-0 victory over the Saint Peter’s Peacocks on March 29 at Rice Oval. Three days later, the Maroon & Gold (7-14 overall, 2-0 MAAC) finished off a sweep of the visiting Peacocks with a 13-5 win.

In the first game, junior Allison Hand powered the Maroon & Gold going 4-4 with three RBI’s, a home run and two runs. She led the charge along with senior catcher Katie Jansson and freshman second baseman Katie Newton who both had multi-hit games. Newton also scored twice and had an RBI.

Hand led off the bottom half of the first with a single to left field. She became the Gaels’ first run of the afternoon after reaching home on a passed ball. Three consecutive hits from Saint Peter’s loaded up the bases for the Gaels. Freshman Kelsey Long was hit by a pitch to bring in another run.

Run number three for the Gaels would come in the bottom of the second. Newton ignited the offense with a leadoff triple to right field. Hand brought in her first run of the day on her ensuing at bat.

Iona took a 5-0 lead in the third inning after junior shortstop Brianna Schauer doubled to right center, scoring Jansson. Schauer eventually crossed the plate when Newton singled to left.

The Gaels solidified the victory adding three more runs in the fifth inning. First, Hand cracked a two-run homer to left center. Freshman first baseman Kristen Turner ended the game with a double to left center, bringing in her team-leading 23rd RBI of the season.

Junior pitcher Carly Argyle picked up the win, after allowing three hits and striking out three batters in a complete game shutout.

Later that day, Iona and Saint Peter’s began the second game of the double header. It was suspended in the first inning.

The two teams resumed the game on April 1. Iona prevailed 13-5.

The Peacocks scored two runs in the first inning and three more in the second to take a 5-0 lead.

The Gaels’ bats came alive in the bottom of the third, when they produced seven runs.

Turner smacked a three-run home run to put Iona on the board. Later in the frame, sophomore third baseman Sarah Schultz hit a grand slam.

The following inning, the Maroon & Gold added five more runs.

Turner, Argyle and Schauer started the rally with back-to-back-to-back doubles.

Argyle picked up the win for Iona. She pitched six innings and gave up five runs on eight hits. After the third inning, she allowed only one hit.

Prior to the start of conference play, the Gaels fell victim to the St. John’s Red Storm 13-7.

After falling behind 3-0 in the top half of the first the Gaels responded quickly, putting three runs across the plate in the bottom of the frame. With two on and one out, Turner drove in Hand with a single to left field. Sophomore Sydney Dimon and Schauer both drew bases loaded walks to knot things up at three.

“During that at bat I was just trying to move the runners, do something productive for my team,” Schauer said. “I got behind in the count early and just kept fighting off her pitches and waited to get mine. She fortunately enough lost the battle; I believe the at bat was 14 pitches.”

St. John’s would add on five more runs the next two innings to take a 8-3 lead.

The Gaels fired back in the bottom half of the fourth, cutting the deficit to three with a couple of runs in the fourth inning. Newton led the charge with a leadoff ground rule double. Hand then smacked the ball over the left field fence for her first homer of the season, making it an 8-5 ball game. Iona would then pull within two on senior Jansson’s sac fly to right making it 8-6.

In the top half of the sixth, the Red Storm scored three more runs to go ahead 11-6. Iona would not give in as they scored again in the bottom of the sixth. Hand led off the inning with a double to left and was plated on a sac fly later on in the inning by Argyle.

St. John’s added two insurance runs to secure the victory.

“The game was a tough one, but we are refocused for MAAC play,” Schauer said.

The Gaels were scheduled to face Sacred Heart in a double-header on April 2; the results of the game were not available at press time. Iona will continue MAAC play on April 5 as they take on Niagara in Lewiston, N.Y.