BETHLEHEM, PA - The Iona College baseball team earned a doubleheader sweep of Lehigh to forge a split of the four-game weekend series in non-conference action at Goodman Campus. The Gaels (7-10) scored two runs in the top of the 11th inning in a 7-5 victory in the opener before a six-run eighth inning led to a wild 11-9 win the nightcap.

Clinging to a two-run lead after six and a half innings Iona surrendered the tying runs in the bottom of the seventh of the opener. A leadoff walk to senior 2B Nick Rossetti was followed by junior 3B Chris Burke reaching on a hit by pitch to start the 11th frame. After an out, junior 1B Michael Chiaravalloti tripled home both runners. Senior RHP Sean Darsee tossed a 1-2-3 bottom of the inning and earned his first collegiate win.

Darsee tossed the final 3.1 innings and allowed just one base runner in the victory. Junior RHP Jordan Gilruth earned the start, pitching the first four innings of the contest. After sophomore RHP Vincent Parise came on for one out in the fifth, senior LHP Brian Callahan threw for 3.1 before being relieved by Darsee.

Burke, sophomore CF Anthony Muccio and freshman LF Joe Torres each recorded two hits including a double. Burke's 2-for-4 effort included two runs scored a career-best three stolen bases in the win.

In the nightcap, the Gaels took a 5-4 advantage through five innings with two tallies in the fourth and three in the fifth. Senior C Chris Griffin got the Maroon & Gold on the scoreboard in the fourth inning with a one-out two run triple. An RBI single by sophomore DH Kyle Charron was followed by a two-run double by Rossetti in the fifth.

Lehigh put four on the scoreboard in the seventh inning and led 8-5. Iona exploded for six runs in the next half inning. With two on and one-out, Burke doubled home Muccio and Torres for the innings' first two tallies. After stealing third base (his fourth of the afternoon), Burke scored on a base-hit by Charron to tie the game. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases for Griffin who drove in two more with his second hit of the contest. Chiaravalloti drew the fourth walk of the game to reload the bases for Torres. Like his teammates before him, Torres also drew a free-pass an earned an RBI on the Gaels' final run of the inning and an 11-8 advantage.

The Mountain Hawks got a run back in the top of the eighth on a leadoff home run, but would not get any closer as Iona earned the doubleheader sweep.

Junior RHP Anthony Castellitto earned the win in relief. He allowed a run on two hits with two strikeouts in three innings of work. Sophomore RHP Thomas Kriss started the contest, going six innings with six strikeouts while allowing just two earned runs.

Muccio and Burke both went 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Burke drove in two more to go along with his 11th stolen base of the year. Rookie RF Joe Smith also had three hits in the game with a run scored. Griffin went 2-for-5 with 4 RBI and was perfect on nine chances in the field. Sophomore Matthew Kriss had seven assists from the shortstop position. Charron was the fifth Gael with multiple hits in a 2-for-6 effort.

The Gaels return to action on Wednesday afternoon in a final non-conference tilt before MAAC play next weekend. Iona travels to New York Tech in Old Westbury, NY at 3:30 pm on Mar. 23. The Maroon & Gold then hosts Canisius for a three-game series at Salesian Field on Saturday (Mar. 26) and Sunday (Mar. 27).

Game 2                                 R  H  E
Iona College........ 011 201 000 02 -  7  7  0
Lehigh.............. 110 100 200 00 -  5  8  4

Game 2                              R  H  E
Iona College........ 000 230 060 - 11 15  3
Lehigh.............. 200 110 410 -  9 12  1