BETHLEHEM, PA - The Iona College baseball team split two games at Lehigh to take the four-game series 3-1. The Gaels (6-11) took the opener 10-7 before falling in the night cap 13-7.
Senior IF
Eric Capowski banged out four singles, and recorded a run, an RBI and a stolen base. Senior IF
Chris Burke was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI while posting a double and his team leading fifth home run and rookie DH
Jimmy Guiliano was 3-for-5 with a run scored in the win. Junior SS
Matthew Kriss had two hits and three RBI.
A
Michael Chiaravalloti ground out in the first and a one-out solo shot by Burke in the third put Iona ahead 2-0. After the Mountain Hawks knotted the score in the bottom of the fourth, the Gaels exploded for six runs in the next half inning. With the bases loaded and no out, senior C
James Beck plated the first run by reaching on an error. Sophomore OF
Joe Smith was then hit by a pitch to give the Maroon & Gold a 4-2 advantage. Kriss cleared the bases with a three-run double and scored two batters later on a Capowski single up the middle.
The two teams traded runs in their next at bats. A run scoring single by Beck in the sixth made the score 9-3. Lehigh added three runs in the bottom of the sixth to cut the deficit in half. The Gaels scored their final run in the top of the seventh on a sac fly by sophomore OF
Joe Torres.
Rookie RHP
John Daddino (1-2) earned his first collegiate win tossing five innings, scattering five hits, allowing three runs and striking out six batters.
In the night cap, the Gaels banged out 17 hits, but could not overcome a six-run first inning by Lehigh.
Kriss put Iona on the board in the top of the first with a two-run single. Lehigh took a 7-2 lead they would not relinquish with six in the first and a single run in the second. Kriss earned his third RBI of the game in the third inning with an RBI single.
A run scoring double by Beck in the top of the fifth put the score at 8-4. The Mountain Hawks scored two in the sixth and three more in the seventh to round out their run total. Guiliano, Burke and Kriss picked up RBI in the top of the ninth. With two on and one out, Lehigh induced a game-ending double play to complete the 13-7 win.
Six Gaels recorded multiple hits including three apiece from Torres, Guiliano and Kriss. Torres scored three times and Guiliano twice while Kriss drove in four runs for the visitors. Burke, Capowski and junior C
Sean Menickella each had two hits.
The Gaels are back in action on Thursday (Mar. 22) at New York Tech in Old Westbury, NY before their home and MAAC opening weekend with Marist at Salesian Field on Saturday (Mar. 24) and Sunday (Mar. 25)
