NIAGARA FALLS, NY - The Iona College baseball team dropped a heartbreaking, 8-7 decision to Niagara in MAAC action at Sal Maglie Stadium.  After tying knoting the game at 7-7 in the top of the eight, a walk-off base hit in the ninth led to the defeat.

Trailing 3-0 in the top of the second, the Gaels put up a four spot to take the lead.  Freshman RF Dean Dignelli drew a bases loaded walk for the first run of the inning.  Junior CF Chris Leahy then cleared the bases with a single.  Dignelli raced around from first and scored when the Purple Eagle right fielder threw the ball away.

After Niagara tied the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the second and a scoreless third inning, Iona scored twice in the fourth.  Senior C Andrew Wernicki scored the first run after rookie 3B Matthew Simone reached on an error.  Junior 2B Nick Rossetti drove in Dignelli on a base hit to give Iona a 6-4 lead.

The Purple Eagles halved their deficit in the bottom of the fourth and took the lead with two runs in the sixth ining.  The Gaels used a bit of small ball to push across the tying run in the eight.  After a lead off single by Dignelli, Leahy sacrificed him to second and then advanced to third on a ground out by rookie SS Eric Capowski.  Dignelli scored his third run of the game on an infield RBI single off the bat of Simone.

With two-on and none out in the top of the ninth, Niagara reliever Adam Wagner struck out three of the next four hitters to end the Gaels scoring chances.

In the ninth, a Matt Wietlispach single plated the game-winning run.

Wernicki, Dignelli and freshman P/DH Chris Burke each recorded two hits in the loss.   The Gaels cored seven runs on 11 base hits, all singles.

Sophomore RHP Matt Casino took the hard luck loss in relief.

The Gaels return to action on Tuesday evening when they take on Metropolitan area rival Fordham in a non-conference tilt in the Bronx.