BRONX, NY - The Iona College baseball team earned a 5-3 win over Fordham in non-conference action at Houlihan Park Tuesday evening. All eight runs were scored off the starting pitchers in the contest. Senior RHP Vincent Parisi shut the door on the Rams tossing four innings of three-hit, scoreless relief.

Rookie RHP Steve Basile had a strong effort to start the contest to improve to 3-1 on the season. Basile tossed five innings, allowed three runs on five hits with four strikeouts. Had it not been for two wild pitches with a runner on third base in his final inning of work, Basile could have escaped the outing with just one run allowed. Parisi came on in the sixth inning and kept the Rams off the scoreboard. He escaped a key jam in the eighth inning to help seal the win. After back-to-back base hits to lead off the frame, a sacrifice bunt put the tying run in scoring position with one out. Parisi induced two pop outs to end the inning and the threat. He pitched to four batters in the ninth to earn his first collegiate save.

Fordham's bullpen was equally as strong, allowing just three base runners in the final four innings. Iona scored all five of its runs off starter John Porter, who allowed nine hits and three walks in the loss.

The Gaels got on the board in their first at bat and never trailed. An RBI groundout by senior 1B Michael Chiaravalloti and a run scoring double by senior RF Colin Lyall accounted for the squad's two runs.

Iona would tack on a run in the third and two in the fifth, only to be answered right away by the home team in its own half inning. In the third, Chiaravalloti earned his second RBI without recording a hit, plating rookie DH Jimmy Guiliano on a sacrifice fly. A one-out, fifth inning double off the right field line by senior LF Chris Burke drove in sophomore CF Joe Torres. Burke would score two batters later on a fielder's choice by senior C James Beck.

Torres, Burke and Lyall each had two hits in the win. Torres extended his hitting streak to six games during which he has 12 hits in 24 at bats (.500) with three walks. Burke has 205 career hits, three shy of John Penatello '98, the No. 2 performer on Iona's all-time hit list. Lyall has hit safely in four straight games and 11 of his last 13 appearances. Senior SS Eric Capowski extended his hitting streak to a season-long six games. Junior 3B Matthew Kriss extended his on-base streak to eight games.

Fordham had three performers with two hits including RF Tim Swatek who drove in and scored a run from the leadoff position.

With a bye weekend from Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play, the Gaels will travel to Staten Island, NY to take on Wagner at Richmond County Bank Ballpark beginning Friday (Apr. 20). Stay tuned to ICGaels.com as the weekend schedule is subject to change with the early forecast of inclement weather.