WILLIAMSBURG, VA- The Iona College baseball team dropped its first two contests of the 2009 campaign at the William and Mary Round Robin.   The Gaels (0-2) fell 16-2 to Buffalo on Friday and 16-6 to the host Tribe this afternoon.

On Friday vs. Buffalo, the Maroon & Gold posted their two runs on RBI singles by junior LF Andrew Passerelle and rookie RF Colin Lyall in the top of the sixth inning.  Passerelle, Lyall, sophomore 3B Michael Sevilla and rookie 2B Chris Burke collected hits for the Gaels.   For Lyall and Burke it was their first collegiate base hit.

Junior Dylan McCullough (0-1) took the loss for Iona in four innings of work.

This afternoon vs. William and Mary, the Gaels took a 3-0 lead after two innings only to allow eight runs in the bottom of the third and fourth.  Senior C Andrew Wernicki drove in both Iona runs in the first inning with a single to left center field.   Burke picked an RBI in the second inning with an infield single.

The Gaels cut the deficit to 8-4 in the sixth inning on a Sevilla sacrifice fly.   Iona added a solo run in the eighth and ninth innings.  Rookie SS Eric Capowski earned his first collegiate RBI on an infield single and Wernicki earned his third RBI of the game in the ninth.

Wernicki and Burke were both 3-for-4 in the loss.   Wernicki led the way with three RBI.  Passerelle, Capowski, junior LF Chris Leahy, sophomore 1B Chris Griffin and rookie CF Dean Dignelli each had a hit in the loss.

Rookie Anthony Castellitto took the loss (0-1).

The Gaels complete action in Williamsburg tomorrow afternoon in a doubleheader against the two squads.