FAIRFIELD, CT- The Iona College baseball team earned a doubleheader split with Fairfield in MAAC action at Alumni Diamond. The Gaels came back in to win the second game 6-3 after dropping the opener 8-3.
The Stags never trailed in the first game, jumping ahead 3-0 after three innings of play. Iona got two runs in the fourth to cut the deficit to one run. Back-to-back run scoring singles by senior C Andrew Wernicki and junior CF Chris Leahy plated the Maroon & Gold's tallies in the inning.
Fairfield tacked on a single run in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings to extend the lead to 5-2. Rookie 2B Chris Burke drove in a run in the seventh inning on a sacrifice fly. Rookie DH Matthew Simone scored on the play.
Freshman RF Colin Lyall had his first collegiate three hit game going 3-for-4. He reached base a fourth time via a walk. Wernicki also had a three-hit game, his second of the season. The performance raised his average in MAAC games to a team-best .407, the third highest average of all MAAC players this season.
The Gaels used a strong pitching performance from sophomore RHP Mike Brizzolara to take the second game, 6-3. Brizzolara tossed a complete game and allowed just six hits while striking out five. He allowed the three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Junior LF Andrew Passerelle put the Gaels on the scoreboard with two-out solo home run in the top of the second. It was his second home run of the season. A base hit by sophomore 1B Chris Griffin followed by a hit-by-pitch to Simone put two on with two out in the inning. Rookie SS Eric Capowski drove in Griffin with an RBI single.
In the fourth, Iona extended its lead to 5-0 with a three-run inning. Simone blasted his first collegiate home run to drive in the runs with one out.
In the fifth, Wernicki continued his hot hitting with an RBI single to round out the scoring. Wernicki has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 appearances.
Lyall and Passerelle each had two hits in the win.
The Gaels and Stags complete the three-game set tomorrow at noon.
