NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona College baseball team kept its postseason hopes alive with a doubleheader sweep of Rider in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action at City Park. After taking the opener 10-3, senior Chris Sand delivered a two-out pinch hit to lead the Gaels to a 3-2 victory in 12 innings in the night cap.

With its two wins, the Gaels remain two games behind in the loss column behind Marist and one behind Manhattan as the three teams vie for the final spot in the 2014 MAAC Championship. Iona needs to win its final game, Manhattan to lose its series finale to Saint Peter's and Marist to lose all three contests vs. Fairfield. The Jaspers swept their doubleheader vs. the Peacocks today and are scheduled to conclude the series tomorrow afternoon. The Red Foxes open vs. the Stags tomorrow and conclude on Saturday. Both series are in doubt however with inclement weather forecasted for the Northeast all day Friday.

Iona pounded out 10 runs on 16 hits and five Rider errors in the first game. The Gaels took a 3-0 lead in the third inning and scored five more in the bottom of the fifth to extend it to 8-0. After the Broncs got on the board with a run in the seventh, Iona added solo runs in the seventh and eighth innings before two Rider tallies in the ninth rounded out the scoring.

Senior CF Joe Torres was 3-for-5 with a run scored and two RBI. With his base hit up the middle in the seventh inning, he became the fifth player in Iona history to record 200 career hits joining former teammate Chris Burke '12 (226 hits) and standouts Rob Villanova '04 (220), John Penatello '98 (208) and Jeff Spilsbury (201). Torres also stole two bases. With his third of the day in the night cap, his season total is now 28 and career total is 90, which is second all-time to Penatello's 112.

Junior 1B Jimmy Guiliano collected his fourth career four-hit effort and first of the 2014 going 4-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI. Rookie LF Kyle DiVico added three hits while senior 2B Bobby Vitulano and sophomore DH Travis Mistretta had two hits apiece.

Senior RHP Bill Maier (3-7) earned the win with a dominant performance over eight innings of work. He allowed a run, scattered eight hits and had two walks with three strikeouts in the victory. Junior RHP Jake Kurz pitched the ninth.

Rider LF Ken Kremer was 3-for-4 with two runs scored. IF Mike Parsons added two hits and drove in all three Bronc runs. RHP Kyle Kennett took the loss. He allowed just four earned runs with two strikeouts in 6.1 innings.

The Gaels led off the thrilling night cap win with a run in their first at bat. Torres began the frame with a single through the right side and then stole second base. He was sacrificed to third base and then scored on an infield hit by Guiliano.

Rider evened the score in the third inning and then took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth.

The Gaels tied the score in the fifth inning. A leadoff walk to Vitulano was followed by an infield hit by Torres to put two on. After sophomore SS Vinny DeMaria pushed Vitulano to third on a double play, LHP Eric Thomas relieved starter RHP Vincenzo Aiello. Guiliano drilled the first pitch the other way to knot the score at 2-2.

Sophomore RHP Mariano Rivera tossed 96 pitches over six innings. He allowed five hits and a walk and was charged with two runs while striking out six batters. The Gaels relief tandem of sophomores LHP Andrew Pucillo and John Daddino allowed just two base runners in six innings of relief.

Rider threatened in the bottom of the eighth inning. Parsons drew a one-out walk on a 3-2 pitch. With two down, he stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the Iona catcher. Daddino came on to relieve Pucillo at that point to face 2B Greg Fazio with a 1-0 count. After two called strikes and a foul ball Daddino blew a fastball by his Rider foe to end the inning.

Daddino proceeded to pitch the next four innings in impressive fashion. In total he tossed 4.1 innings with eight strikeouts allowing just one base runner on a controversial hit by pitch. The final out recorded sparked the Gaels' momentum final their final at bat. He fielded a sharp ground ball that took him to the back of the mound and from his rear end threw out Kremer at first base in the 12th inning.

Iona's 12th inning began inauspiciously with two quick outs. RF Nick Crescenzo made a nice play on a DiVico ball for the second out and seemingly deflated the Gaels' momentum. Senior RF Joe Smith came up and drilled a 2-0 fastball to right center field for a double. Sand pinch hit for 3B Tyler Bruno and the fifth-year senior delivered arguably the biggest hit of his career. After measuring RHP Benjamin Dever's arsenal by taking the first five pitches of the at bat, Sand worked a 3-2 count. He lined the sixth offering of the plate appearance over the Rider shortstop into left center field and Smith raced around third for the game winning run.

The Gaels had 10 hits including three more from Torres and Guiliano while Smith added two hits.

Rider had five different players record a base hit, none after the sixth inning. Deaver took the loss in 0.2 innings of relief. Aiello tossed the first 4.2 frames, followed by Thomas for an inning and 5.1 strong innings from RHP Josh Sharik who threw 99 pitches and kept the Gaels off the scoreboard.

The two teams complete their regular seasons Saturday evening with first pitch scheduled for 5:00 pm.