GLEN BURNIE, MD - The Iona College baseball team completed a three-game series sweep of Coppin State with a 10-5 win at Bachman Field this afternoon. The Gaels exploded for seven runs over the final three innings in the victory.
Trailing 2-0, the Gaels halved the deficit with a manufactured tally, in the top of the third. With one out rookie 3B Kyle Sharron drew a walk and then stole second. Senior LF
Andrew Passerelle plated his teammate with an RBI base hit to center field.
The Gaels rallied to tie the game at 3-3 with two runs in the top of the fifth. Junior 2B
Nick Rossetti led off the inning with his second home run of the season. Later in the inning, sophomore CF
Dean Dignelli drove in a run with bases loaded sacrifice fly to center field.
After allowing a go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth, Iona began to pull away in their next at bat. A three-run seventh inning was assisted by three Coppin State errors. Sophomore 1B
Michael Chiaravalloti drove in a run with an RBI double. He and Dignelli later scored on Eagle miscues.
In the eight the Gaels tacked on two more. A one-out solo home run by Passerelle put Iona ahead 7-4. It was the senior's second long ball of the year. Three batters later, Dignelli added his second RBI of the game with a double to left field.
With two out and two-on in the top of the ninth, junior C
Chris Griffin capped of a stellar weekend with a two-run triple into the right centefield gap.
Four Iona players recorded mulitple hits in the contest. Dignelli's three hits were complemented by two hits apiece from Griffin, Passerelle and Rossetti.
Sophomore RHP Chirs Burke earned the start and recorded a no-decision in three innings pitched. Rookie RHP tossed the next 3.2 frames and earned his first collegiate win. He allowed two hits, a run and struck out three batters. His classmate, RHP
Matt Petro, earned the save in his 2.1 ininngs to close out the contest.
The 4-2 Gaels return to action next weekend when they take on Monmouth on Saturday (Mar. 13) at Navy's Max Bishop Stadium in Annapolis, MD.
