BUFFALO, NY - The Iona College baseball team opened the 2010 MAAC schedule with a doubleheader loss to Canisius College at the Demske Sports Complex on Saturday. Iona dropped the first game 11-2 and the nightcap 14-3. In Sunday's finale, the Gaels were unable to top Canisius again, falling 10-5.
Canisius senior Perry Silverman had a game-high six hits on the day, to go along with five RBI. Senior Shayne Willson was 5-for-9 with two home runs and seven RBI while senior Ian Choy also had five RBI.
In the first game, Canisius added single runs in the first and second, getting two-out RBI singles from Willson and Silverman. The Griffs broke open the game with a seven-run fourth inning. Silverman had a two-RBI single and Sean Jamieson scored Silverman on a ground-rule double.
The Gaels got on the board with two runs in the top of the seventh and the Griffs added two in the bottom of the eighth on RBI singles from Choy and Willson.
In the second game, Canisius scored first again, as Choy drew a two-out walk and McQuail sent a homer over the center-field fence to make it 2-0. The Gaels responded with three runs in the top of the second off Canisius starter Billy Martin.
Canisius scored the final 12 runs of the game, taking the lead for good in the third when Choy had a three-run homer and Willson hooked a homer inside the foul pole inside the left-field line.
In Sunday's series finale, Canisius struck first with a run in the first. Iona responded with three runs in the second inning. Junior C Chris Griffin led off with a single. With one out, freshman RF Kyle Charron singled to put two runners on. Sophomore 1B Michael Chiaravalloti followed with a double, scoring Griffin and tying the contest up. A two-out single by senior 2B Nick Rossetti drove in two and the Gaels were ahead 3-1.
Canisius runs in the third and fifth innings drew the contest to a 3-3 standstill. In the sixth inning, the Golden Griffs put the game away with five runs on five hits. Iona put two across in the eighth on a home run by sophomore DH James Beck but were unable to cut the deficit.
Freshman Matt Marley took the loss for Iona, allowing six runs in five innings of work. The Gaels return to the field Wednesday to take on Sacred Heart. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 pm.
