NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona College baseball team earned a doubleheader split with Siena in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action at Salesian Field. The Gaels (10-18, 2-6 MAAC) used a strong pitching performance in both ends, suffering a 2-1 defeat in 10 innings in the opener and holding off the Saints (10-20, 1-4 MAAC) 4-3 in the night cap.

Rookie LHP Eddie Macaluso paced Iona in the first game holding the Siena bats at bay through 8.2 strong innings and 111 pitches before being lifted with two outs in the ninth. He scattered nine hits allowing one run with a walk and three strikeouts. Macaluso's lone run allowed came on an infield single by the Saints' 3B Mike Allen in the seventh.

The Gaels got their run in the sixth inning to break the scoreless tie. Junior 3B Chris Burke led off the inning with a base hit to left field. His classmate, C James Beck, drove him in with a double to dead centerfield.

In the top of the 10th for Siena, Tyler Bell was pushed to third base after a leadoff walk after a sacrifice bunt and a ground out to first. With an 0-1 count, 2B Dan Paolini found the hole between third and short to plate the game winner.

Iona had a shot for its second run in both the ninth and 10th innings. Freshman LF Joe Torres stole second and third with two outs to run his total to a season-high four in the contest. Saints reliever Ryan Poplawski got out of the jam with a strike out. In the final frame, Poplawski erased a one-out triple by Beck by inducing a groundout and striking out the game's final batter.

Beck's double and triple represented the lone Gael with multiple hits in the contest. 

Both starters performed well for Iona and Siena but took no decisions. Siena's Kyle Sumple tossed 7.1 innings allowing two hits and had 10 strikeouts but walked 10 batters in the contest.

In game two, the Gaels got to Siena early, scoring three runs in the first two innings. Beck drove in sophomore SS Matthew Kriss on a groundout in the first. Rookie RF Joe Smith recorded a two-run double into the left centerfield gap to give Iona a 3-0 lead.

In the fifth, Iona added a crucial insurance run when senior 2B Nick Rossetti drove in Beck on a sacrifice fly. 

Senior LHP Justin Wiley cruised through the first five innings where he allowed just two base runners. The Saints scored three in the sixth inning with Paolini hitting a two-run home run with one out in the inning. Wiley bore down and completed the inning without surrendering the lead.

Siena threatened again in the seventh inning. With a runner on first and two out, Rooney's line drive into the hole went off Kriss' glove at shortstop. Bell tried to go from first to third on the play and Torres threw a strike to Burke to pick him off and end the game.

Wiley earned his fourth win of the year allowing two earned runs and six hits in the seven inning complete-game effort. He walked one and struck out six in the victory.

Torres was 2-for-3 in the game and stole another base to make it five on the day and a team leading 18th on the season.

The Gaels and Saints complete the three-game series Sunday at Salesian Field. Sophomore RHP Thomas Kriss is on the hill for Iona with first pitch at noon.