In game two of the doubleheader on Saturday, the Quinnipiac Bobcats fell to the Iona Gaels by a score of 7-6, giving the Gaels the sweep.

This series marked the home opener for the Bobcats who have played on the road or at neutral sides for their first 20 games of the season.

“It is always nice to be at home,” head coach Hillary Smith said. “It’s nice to sleep in your bed and be able to do your routine, it’s always nice as the girls have their families here, all their friends, it’s just nice to be able to play in front of your home crowd.”

After losing the first game 7-1, Iona started hot again in game two as they took a first-inning lead when Jamie Sheeran knocked in Kayla Haywood on an RBI single.

The Gaels managed to extend the lead in the top of the second when they loaded the bases with nobody out, which prompted Emma Capuano to bunt for a base hit, making it 2-0.

After a Haywood sacrifice fly made it 3-0, Brooke Acker hit a two-run double to make it 5-0.

In the bottom half of the inning, the Bobcats started to chip away when Amanda Engel knocked in Ella McGilliard on an RBI single and then later worked in another run when she strategically got into a run down, allowing Brooke Hilliard to score from third and making it 5-2.

Fast forward to the bottom of the fourth inning and the Bobcats were now only down 5-3, Ally Hochstadter pinch-hit and hit an RBI single to make it 5-4.

This is when the craziness picked up because when Sheeran tried to pick off Hannah Davis at third base, she threw it away allowing Davis and Hochstadter to score, giving the Bobcats the 6-5 lead.

After an uneventful fifth inning, the Gaels got going again as with the bases loaded and one out, Sheeran made the Bobcats pay again as she smoked a ball into the right-center gap that almost got out of the stadium, this gave Iona the lead, one which they did not give up.

The Bobcats attempted a rally in the bottom of the sixth inning when the first two runners got on. With one out in the inning, they were thwarted of more success by an incredible diving catch by the center fielder, Alivia Lichner, who robbed Mary Fogg of an RBI hit that would have tied the game.

The Bobcats would go down 1-2-3 in the seventh inning, securing the doubleheader sweep for the Gaels.

“I am just so proud of them,” Smith continued. “Even though it was 5-0, they fought back and they came back and ended up making it 6-5, and kudos to their team for stepping up and getting a big hit in a big moment.”

The Bobcats will look to avoid the series sweep when they take on Iona in the series finale tomorrow at noon in Hamden.