`WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ - The Iona College baseball team dropped a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference doubleheader to Monmouth on the road Saturday afternoon. The Hawks took the opener 10-0, and the night cap 5-2.

Monmouth scored all 10 runs in the second, third and fourth innings and three pitchers limited the Gaels to four hits. Seniors CF Joe Torres and 2B Bobby Vitulano and rookie C Alex Beckett and 2B Tyler Bruno recorded the Gaels base knocks.

Senior RHP Kenny Dietrich took the loss. He was lifted after 2.2 innings with an injury and was charged with six runs on six hits.

Monmouth scored all five of its runs through the first five innings before the Gaels got on the board in the sixth. Beckett led off the inning with a double and advanced to third on an infield hit by sophomore DH Travis Mistretta. He scored on a wild pitch with senior RF Joe Smith at the plate. Smith advanced Mistretta to third base with an infield single of his own. Mistretta scored on a Bruno sac fly.

Smith was 3-for-3 in the contest while Torres and Mistretta had two hits apiece. Sophomore RHP Mariano Rivera allowed four earned runs on five hits and had seven strikeouts in the six-inning effort.

The two teams complete the three game series tomorrow at noon.