Pirates Prepare to Close Season Hosting Iona

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – With BIG EAST play over, the Seton Hall softball team (18-29, 6-18) will close out the season at home playing host to the Iona Gaels (20-23) in a doubleheader at Mike Sheppard Sr. Field. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Schedule
Wednesday, April 22
2 p.m. – Seton Hall vs Iona (Live Stats - Stream)
4 p.m. – Seton Hall vs Iona (Live Stats - Stream)

PREVIEWING IONA

So far this season, Iona is 20-23 with wins over Rider, Stony Brook, St. John's and Saint Peter's.
Offensively, the Gaels feature a quartet of hitters with varied skill sets, creating a strong offensive cocktail. Sara Piña and Alivia Lichtner lead the team with .328 and .327 batting averages, respectively, though Piña sits tied for the team lead in hits while Lichtner leads in triples. When it comes to power, however, Brianna Fischer and Hailey Guerrero lead the way. Guerrero leads the team with seven home runs, but Fischer tops the team with 25 RBI to go with her six home runs.
In the circle, Iona boasts a trio of strong options. Melissa Gordon leads the way with a 2.13 ERA in 98.2 innings in 23 appearances. However, Allison Hoppe has a 3.08 ERA in 118 innings pitched, while Bella DiGiandomenico has a 3.20 ERA in 13 appearances.

NEWS AND NOTES

With 18 wins this season, the Pirates eclipsed 1000 wins in program history in their 51^st season of play.
With their 6-18 record in conference play, the Pirates have been eliminated from competing in the BIG EAST Tournament.
Angelina Benitez, in her sophomore season, has broken out as one of the best hitters in the conference with a record-breaking campaign. She just wrapped up a school-record 23 game hit streak, which is the longest active streak in the nation and second-longest of the season. She also has 65 hits, which is just shy of the second-most hits in a single season in program history.
At first base, Sophia DeMarco has filled in perfectly since taking over the position from single-season RBI record holder Olivia Gilbert this season. So far this season, DeMarco is hitting .300 with both a team-leading six home runs and 31 RBI.
In her final BIG EAST series, Erin Howard found her power stroke amid The Hall's offensive slump. The senior notched two home runs and four RBI against the St. John's Red Storm, both of which initiated near-comeback attempts.