NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona College baseball team kept its postseason hopes alive with a doubleheader split with Manhattan in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play at City Park. After dropping the opener 6-2, the Gaels erased a two-run deficit in the eighth inning to secure a 5-4 win. Finishing the regular season with a 20-33 overall record and 11-13 in MAAC play, the Maroon & Gold will look to the results of the Marist-Saint Peter's three-game series Saturday and Sunday to determine its fate in next week's MAAC Championship.

Manhattan took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning in game one. The Jaspers took advantage of back-to-back walks to lead off the frame. After a sacrifice bunt, 3B Michael Pfenninger's bloop single to left scored both runs for the visitors.

Iona tallied a run in the fifth. With two out, senior 1B Jimmy Guiliano singled home junior C Carmine Palummo to make the score 2-1.

Manhattan regained a two-run advantage in the next half inning on a one-out RBI single by C Chris Reynolds. It added three more in the seventh on a costly two-out error cleared the bases and gave the Jaspers a 6-1 lead.

Guiliano drove in his second run of the day on a seventh inning single.

Guiliano and junior SS Vinny DeMaria each had two hits in the loss.

Junior RHP Mariano Rivera took the loss. He struck out 12 in 6.2 innings, his season-high in a MAAC game, and allowed eight hits and six runs (three earned) and walked four.

Manhattan LF Brendan Bisset and SS Joe McClennan had two hits apiece. LHP Joe Jacques earned the win. He allowed an unearned run and four hits in five innings.

In the night cap, the Gaels rallied from down 2-0 and 4-2 to earn the win. Manhattan scored a run in the top of the first off graduate LHP Eddie Macaluso. Back-to-back singles to lead off the frame led to the tally on a one out hit by C Mikey Miranda. A two out single by McClennan in the fifth gave the Jaspers a 2-0 lead.

Iona got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth inning. Palummo drove in sophomore 2B Matt Byrne on a ground out to half the Gael deficit. The Maroon & Gold tied the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth. Rookie CF Jon Budesa scored from second on sophomore C Alex Beckett's base hit through the left side.

Manhattan quickly answered with two runs in the seventh inning, both with two outs. RF Chris Kalousdian recorded an infield hit to plate the first run and another single up the middle by McClennan gave the visitor's a 4-2 advantage.

The Gaels comeback in the eighth kept their season alive. Budesa led off with a single up the middle. Junior LF Travis Mistretta drew a walk and Beckett was hit by a pitch on a 3-2 count. Byrne crushed the ball to right centerfield and knotted the score at 4-4 with a two-run triple. Beckett was cut down at the plate on the play. Byrne would be driven in on a sac fly by DeMaria.

Macaluso came off after seven-plus innings allowing nine hits and four runs while striking out four in a no-decision. Sophomore LHP Andrew Camiolo needed five pitches in the eighth to record three outs on a line out to left and a double play ball right back up the box. Senior RHP John Daddino shut the door in the ninth inning for his fifth save of the season.

Byrne was 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI. He reached base a fourth time on a hit by pitch. DeMaria and Budesa had two hits each in the win.

Kalousdian and McClennan led Manhattan with three hits each. Manhattan senior RHP Scott McClennan tossed 6.1 strong innings in his final game as a Jasper and also received a no decision. Senior RHP Sean Abbate and LHP Michael Martin closed it out for the visitors. Martin took the loss.

The Gaels await the results of the Marist-Saint Peter's series to determine their postseason fate. Iona needs two Peacock wins to match the Red Foxes with an 11-13 record in conference play. The Gaels hold the tie breaker over Marist as a result of a series win.