NEW ROCHELLE, NY- The Iona College baseball team split a doubleheader with Manhattan this afternoon in MAAC action at Salesian Field. The Gaels won a wild opening game 12-11, erasing a seven-run deficit and coming back on three separate occasions to earn a win over the regular season MAAC champion Jaspers. Manhattan took the night cap, 13-1.
In game one, the Jaspers scored the contest's first seven runs, capped by a three-run home run by 1B Austin Sheffield in the top of the sixth inning.
In the bottom of the inning, it was all Iona who rallied for seven runs in the frame to knot the score at 7-7. Junior CF Chris Leahy led off the inning innocently with a single through the left side. After stealing second, rookie RF Colin Lyall drew a walk after battling back from an 0-2 start. Senior C Andrew Wernicki plated Iona's first run with a base hit. Sophomore 1B Chris Griffin loaded the bases, drawing the second walk of the inning. Junior LF Andrew Passerelle was the sixth straight batter to reach base as he bounced a ground ball over Sheffield's head for an RBI single. After two straight strikeouts by Jasper starter Mike Gazzolla, the rally looked like it was coming to a halt. Rookie SS Eric Capowski breathed new life into the inning with the first of four straight RBI base hits for the Gaels. Nick Rossetti's run scoring single chased Gazzolla and brought on reliever Mike Tibbetts with the bases loaded.
Leahy got his second hit of the frame and drove in a run as his chopper scooted up the middle to extend the inning. Lyall had the big hit, a two-run single the opposite way. Wernicki got the Gael fans on their field with a long fly ball to deep centerfield, but the blast was tracked down by Mike McCann for the inning's final out. The Gaels sent up 12 batters and had seven hits in their seven run outburst.
In the seventh, three-straight two out hits capped by a two run single by 2B Ruben Perez gave Manhattan a 9-7 advantage.
The Gaels responded in the eighth tying the game with two runs. With one out, Passerelle and freshman DH Dean Dignelli posted back-to-back hits to put runners on first and second. Sophomore 3B Michael Sevilla got into the hit parade with an RBI single to right center field. After Capowski hit into a fielder's choice that put runners on first and third with two out, Matt Trioisi relieved Bennett. Rossetti battled through six pitches and drew a walk to load the bases. Leahy came up to the plate and beat out a little tapper between the pitcher and first baseman to drive in the tying run. It was the junior outfielder's career-best fourth hit of the game and second of the infield variety. Lyall nearly gave the Gaels their first advantage of the contest, hitting a sinking liner to right centerfield. McCann ended the rally again with a nice running catch.
The Jaspers quickly answered in the eight, manufacturing two runs in to take a 11-9 lead. A one-out hit by SS Ryan Masters and a two-out strike by CF Mike Oranati accounted for the runs.
The Gaels came back for the third time in the bottom of the inning. A leadoff walk to Andrew Wernicki was followed by a strikeout. On the first pitch he saw, Passerelle smacked his third home run of the season over the right field wall to tie the score at 11-11. Dignelli followed with a base hit through the left side, chasing Trioisi from the contest. After Sevilla was unable to push him over to second with a bunt, Dignelli took matters into his own hands and swiped second base on an 0-2 breaking ball. Sevilla then hit the ball to the right side to push his rookie teammate to third with two out. Capowski followed with his third hit of the contest, driving home the go-ahead run.
Junior RHP Dylan McCullough came on to close in the ninth inning and gave up a leadoff single to RF Chad Salem. Salem was sacrificed to second base. After a four-pitch walk put two on with one out, McCullough buckled down and got C Jamie Fitzgerald to fly out to left centerfield. The game ended on an unconventional 1-3 put out. The Gaels got a great bounce as Masters shot off McCullough's shin ricocheted right into Griffin's glove at first base for the final out.
Sophomore Matt Casino earned the win in his one inning relief effort. McCullough picked up his first collegiate save.
The Gaels pounded out 19 hits with four a piece coming off the bat of Leahy and Passerelle. Capowski's three-hit effort was complemented by two hits by Lyall and Dignelli. All nine batters in the lineup recorded at least one hit in the victory.
Manhattan set the tone in the second game, scoring 11 runs in the first two innings to take a commanding lead.
The Gaels lone run came in the second inning on Capowski's RBI single. Two straight infield hits by Griffin and Dignelli to lead off the inning set up the tally.
Junior RHP John Kassebaum pitched effectively in relief finishing off the final 5.1 innings while allowing three hits, two unearned runs and walking only one batter. It was just his second base on balls allowed in his last five appearances, a span of 25 innings pitched.
Leahy collected two more hits and raised his season average nearly 40 points to a team leading .341.
The two teams complete the three-game series in Iona's season finale tomorrow. Senior Day festivities begin at approximately 11:45 with first pitch shortly following at noon. The Gaels will honor Wernicki and classmates LHP William Dorsa, RHP Justin Karn and IF Joe Lorenzo prior to the contest.
