SOUTH ORANGE, NJ - The Iona College baseball team dropped another nail biter in a 3-2 loss to Seton Hall in 10 innings at the 2009 Strikeout Cancer Tournament.  The Gaels scored two runs in the opening inning and the Pirates scratched their way back with a run each in the seventh and eighth innings before the game winner in the 10th.

The Gaels got the first two base runners on base via a hit by pitch.  Junior LF Andrew Passerelle  drove in SS Nick Rossetti from second base with a base hit up the middle.  The next batter - sophomore 1B Chris Griffin - also singled to plate rookie 3B Matthew Simone as the Maroon & Gold led 2-0 after one half inning.

The Pirates cut their deficit in half in the seventh inning, scratching across a run on two singles and a stolen base.  In the eighth inning, rookie RHP Chris Burke got the first two batters to ground out to second base and looked like he would breeze through another inning.  Two straight walks and a base hit plated the game tying run.  Fellow rookie RHP Derrick Bligh came in on relief to get the innings final out.

After a scoreless ninth inning, Iona was able to get a runner on in the top of the 10th but were unable to put across a run.  SS AJ Rubarsky was sacrificed to second base after a lead off single.  Two straight walks loaded the bases with one out.  LF Bobby Migliazza ended the game with a single up the middle and the Pirates came away with the 3-2 win.

Simone, Griffin, Burke and rookie CF Dean Dignelli each had two hits for the Gaels.  Simone and Dignelli also recorded a stolen base.  Passerelle reached base three times with a hit and two walks.

Burke tossed 7.2 strong innings allowing six hits and two runs while striking out five batters.  Bligh faced one batter over the minimum (HBP) in 1.1 scoreless innings.  Rookie Derek Viscomi (0-2) took the loss.

The Gaels are back in action on Wednesday afternoon when they take on Fairleigh Dickinson at 3:30 pm at the Knight's Teaneck, NJ campus.