Norfolk, VA- The Iona College baseball game dropped the final three games in the four-game series with Old Dominion this weekend. The Gaels (2-7) fell victim to some potent Monarch (11-6) offense and timely pitching in the losses.
In the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday, ODU starter Anthony Shawler tossed his second straight complete game shutout in a 6-0 win over Iona. Sophomore C Andrew Wernicki recorded two of the team's five hits in the loss. Senior RHP Nick Stanziani (0-2) took the loss.
The flood gates opened early and often on the Gaels as Old Dominion plated 23 runs in the 23-2 defeat in Game Two on Saturday. Rookie 2B Mike Walraven went 2-for-3 in the contest while sophomore LF Keith Kenny recorded an RBI triple and senior 3B Nick Capowski drove him in with a single in the second to represent Iona's offense.
This afternoon, Iona fell 16-8 to complete the series. Shawler made Iona pay again, this time at the plate, tying the score at 7-7 in the fifth inning. The Monarchs outscored the Gaels 9-1 in the final four innings.
Iona got on the scoreboard in the top of the first on a two-run home run by junior 1B Allie Abbatiello over the right field fence. The team extended its lead to three runs in the second on sophomore CF Paul Salerno's sacrifice fly. ODU took a 4-3 lead with four runs in the bottom of the inning.
The Gaels fought back to tie in the third on Wernicki's one-out sacrifice fly. They added three more runs in the fourth chasing ODU starter Brady Burchill after 3.1 innings of work. Salerno scored the inning's first run on an error by the Monarch catcher on a Capowski strikeout. Abbatiello picked up his third RBI of the game with a single up the middle. Walraven continued the hit parade with a single through the right side that gave Iona a 7-4 advantage after three and a half innings.
Old Dominion plated 12 unanswered runs in the fifth through eighth innings before a solo shot by rookie DH Andrew Passerelle in the ninth finished the scoring on the afternoon.
The Gaels next scheduled contest on Tuesday (Mar. 6) vs. Long Island University at Salesian Field has been postponed due to wet field conditions. The Gaels travel to Philadelphia, PA for three-games at the Villanova Baseball Classic next Friday, Saturday and Sunday (Mar 9-11).
