NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona College baseball team dropped a doubleheader to Rider in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action at Salesian Field. The Gaels lost the opener 6-1 and the night cap 5-4 in eight innings.

Rider put two on the board in the first inning and added one in the fifth to take a 3-0 lead. The Gaels scratched across their lone run in the sixth as sophomore C James Beck plated senior 2B Nick Rossetti with a ground out. Rider scored three times in the seventh and eighth innings to round out the scoring.

Rossetti went 3-for-4 with a double as the lone Gael with multiple hits. Junior LHP Brian Callahan started and took the loss. He allowed four runs on seven hits in seven innings of work.

In game two, the Maroon & Gold scored in the first inning. Sophomore 3B Chris Burke beat out a slow roller to third base with two out as freshman CF Anthony Muccio raced home to record the game's first run.

After Rider knotted the score in the third, Iona took a 2-1 lead an inning later. Freshman DH Kyle Charron laced a pitch down the third base line that scored Burke with two out.

The Broncs took a 4-2 advantage with three runs in the next half inning. The Gaels cut the deficit in half in the sixth inning. Senior LF Andrew Passerelle doubled to lead off the frame and scored two batters later on Beck's run scoring single that hit the chalk on the right field line.

Down to their last out, Muccio plated classmate Charron in the bottom of the seventh inning to force extra innings.

Rider scored the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth, taking advantage of a leadoff double. Freshman RHP Kenny Dietrich got out of a bases loaded, one-out jam by inducing a double play ball to end the inning.

Iona loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the eighth but was unable to get a run across and took the defeat.

Beck and Charron had three hits apiece. Charron, Passerelle and Burke each had a double in the loss. Passerelle's double was his team leading 15th of the season. Dietrich took the loss.

The two teams complete the three-game series tomorrow at noon at Salesian Field. The Gaels' final contest of the season marks senior day and the final game for Passerelle and RHP John Kassebaum who will be honored before the contest.