NEW ROCHELLE, NY - Senior LF Andrew Passerelle's two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning capped a dramatic 11-run comeback victory for the Iona College baseball team over Fairfield in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action at Salesian Field. The Gaels overcame a 12-1 deficit after four and a half innings, ending the contest with a 20-18 win.

Nine home runs were hit by both squads in the game with Passerelle recording the final blow.

The Gaels plated six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to begin their climb. Sophomore Michael Chiaravalloti smacked his sixth home run of the season to make the score 12-7. All six runs came with two outs on the scoreboard.

After surrendering four runs in the top of the sixth, the Gaels added five each in both the seventh and eighth innings to take a 17-16 lead. Sophomore DH James Beck hit his fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot in the seventh.

In the eighth, Passerelle led off with a moon shot over the centerfield fence for his first homer of the day. Four batters later, sophomore RF Colin Lyall bounced one through the middle with the bases loaded to plate a run. Rookie SS Matthew Kriss hit an identical poke up the middle to score two more runs and knot the score at 16-16. With runners on first and third and two out, junior 2B Nick Rossetti hit a gounder that the Stag second baseman could not handle and beat the throw and allowed the go-ahead run to cross.

The Stags weren't finished, however. In the top of the ninth with no out, DH Carmine DeVito hit his second home run of the game with a runner on and no out to put the visitors ahead by a run.

The Gaels crawled back in the bottom of the ninth. With the bases loaded and one out, Kriss hit a fly ball to right field that allowed rookie PR Kyle Charron to score from third base and tie the score.

In the top of the 10th sophomore RHP Anthony Castellitto walked the lead off batter and went to a 2-1 count on the next batter. He was replaced midcount by sophomore RHP Jordan Gilruth who finished off the batter with a strikeout looking two pitches later. Fairfield got the base runner to third base after a stolen base and an error. Gilruth beared down and got RF Jason Rago out swinging and 1B Tyler Wosleger to bounce out to shortstop to end the threat.

Rossetti led off the bottom of the 10th with a base hit to left field. Passerelle ended the game with his second long home run of the game over the left field fence.

Passerelle had a monster day at the plate, collecting four hits including the two home runs along with four runs scored and four runs batted in. With 11 home runs on the season, he became the ninth player in school history to record double-digits in the statistic. He's tied with four other players for the eighth highest total.

Beck, Rossetti, Kriss, sophomore C Chris Griffin and freshman CF Anthony Muccio had three hits a piece. Lyall and sophomore 3B Chris Burke each had two hits. Kriss drove in four run while Beck and Chiaravalloti each had three RBI. Iona's 20 runs and 24 hits were both season highs and the first time since Feb. 2004 they reached the 20-run mark and Apr. 2006 for 20+ hits.

Gilruth earned the win (1-0) in relief, his first collegiate victory.

Due to the length of the contest and a delayed start due to weather conditions this morning, the second series will be played tomorrow as a part of a noon doubleheader.

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