Iona To Face Washington In NCAA Softball Tournament
MAAC Sports
SEATTLE, Wash. – The Iona College softball team will open play in the NCAA Division I Softball Championship on Thursday (May 15) when it faces the host University of Washington at 10:00 p.m. (EST) in the Seattle Regional at Husky Softball Stadium.
In the opening game at 7:30 p.m. (EST), Brigham Young University (33-21) will face Northwestern University (33-16).
Iona earned is berth to the NCAA Softball tournament by winning the 2014 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship, with a 8-0 decision over runnerup Manhattan in the “winner-take-all’ championship game on Sunday, May 11. The Gaels won the MAAC title by winning four of five games in the championship. Iona (24-22) has won 11 of its last 13 contests.
This will be the first meeting ever between Iona and Washington. The Huskies are 33-13 overall, and finished fifth in the Pac 12 with a 13-9 record. They were ranked eighth in the most recent ESPB/USA Softball College Top 25, and earned the 12th seed in the NCAA Championship. The Huskies come into the matchup with Iona having won nine of their last 10 games.
The Huskies will be making their 21st consecutive NCAA appearance, and their 10th straight under head coach Heather Tarr. Washington is also hosting a regional for the fifth consecutive year.
Iona will be making its fourth NCAA tournament appearance in the last five years, after winning the MAAC Championship and claiming the league’s automatic bid in 2010-12, and again this year. It is the Gaels first NCAA appearance under Melissa Inouye, the 2014 Andaconda Sports MAAC Coach of the Year, who is in her second year at Iona.
Junior pitcher Carly Argyle led the Gaels and was named Most Outstanding Player in the MAAC Championship. She went 3-0 in the championship with a 2.41 ERA, striking out 15 in 20.1 innings. She threw a 1-hitter in the championship game victory over Manhattan. Argyle was dangerous at the plate as well, with a .462 batting average, scoring four runs and collecting six hits.
The Gaels also feature 2014 MAAC Player of the Year Eileen McCann, who hit .400 during the regular season and was named to the All-Tournament team. McCann hit .538 in the MAAC Championship, with a .667 on-base percentage, collecting seven hits, scoring a team best five runs and driving in two runs.
Also on hand for the Gaels is the 2014 MAAC Rookie of the Year, first baseman Kristen Turner. Turner hit .344 during the regular season with 11 homers and 50 RBI.
SEATTLE REGIONAL SCHEDULE (All times listed EST)
Thursday, May 15th
Game 1 7:30pm Northwestern vs. BYU
Game 2 10:00pm Washington vs. Iona
Friday, May 16th
Game 3 4:00pm Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
Game 4 7:30pm Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2
Game 5 9:00pm Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3
Saturday, May 17th
Game 6 3:00pm Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 6
Game 7 5:30pm Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6 (if necessary)