ASHEBORO, NC - The Iona College baseball team continued early season action this past weekend as they took on local rival Fordham at McCrary Park in North Carolina. In game one of Saturday's double header, the Gaels and Rams competed in an extra inning affair with Fordham going out on top 3-1 in 11 innings. In game two, the Rams used their momentum to swing to a 7-2 victory. In Sunday's finale, Iona fell just short and drop a 10-9 decision.
In the opener, Fordham got a run off Iona LHP
Justin Wiley when Ryan David drove in Nick Martinez with the first run of the day. Despite the one run without any outs, Wiley set aside the Rams before any further damage.
The Gaels evened the contest in the home second. Junior DH
James Beck opened with a doubled to left field. With two outs and Beck now on third, sophomore SS
Matthew Kriss drove in Beck to tie the contest.
The Gaels would remain that way for the next eight innings. In the top of the 12th, Fordham broke through when Maghini hit a two run homer off Iona RHP
Anthony Castellitto to reach the 3-1 final. Castellitto dropped to 0-1 with the loss.
In game two, Fordham scored five runs in their first two at-bats off Iona LHP
Colin Lyall and Iona was never able to catch up. Iona scored in the home second when Kriss drove in junior 3B
Chris Burke on a double play groundout. The Gaels would score again in the eighth. Freshman LF
Joe Torres led off with a walk and moved to second on a one out single by senior 2B
Nick Rossetti. Torres stole third and was scored on a wild pitch. Lyall fell to 0-2 on the year while Max Krakowiak earned his second win of the year.
With Iona the road team in the weekend finale, the Gaels jumped on the scoreboard first with two in the opening inning. Rossetti homered with one out and sophomore DH
Kyle Charron on to give Iona a 2-0. The Rams responded with two in their frame on a sacrifice fly from Chris Walker and a double by Stephen McSherry.
The Gaels put four across in the second, beginning with a single by Rossetti to drive in freshman RF
Joe Smith. On a double steal, Rossetti took second and Torres scored from third. A two run homer from Beck put the Gaels ahead 6-2.
Fordham put one across in the second before junior 1B
Michael Chiaravalloti put the Gaels back up four with his first home run of the season.
With the Gaels ahead 7-4, Fordham picked up three in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game, with the big blow coming on a home run from Walker off Iona LHP
Eddie Macaluso.
Kriss put Iona ahead with a RBI single in the fifth before Fordham scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth to go ahead for the first time in the ballgame. Walker drove in a run on a fielder's choice before McSherry brought in two with a two out triple.
Kriss added another RBI, his second of the game and third of the weekend, as the Gaels attempted to rally in the ninth. Senior RHP
Sean Darsee (0-1) took the loss for the Gaels.
Iona is back in action this weekend when they travel to Washington, DC to take on George Washington. The series begins Friday with a 2:30 matchup.
Game 1 - 2/26/11 R H E
Fordham............. 100 000 000 02 - 3 8 0
Iona College........ 010 000 000 00 - 1 7 1
Game 2 - 2/26/11 R H E
Fordham............. 230 010 001 - 7 9 0
Iona College........ 010 000 010 - 2 4 1
Game 3 - 2/27/11 R H E
Iona College........ 241 010 001 - 9 16 0
Fordham............. 211 300 03X - 10 13 1
