BOILING SPRINGS, NC - The Iona College baseball team lost two close contests to Gardner-Webb in a non-conference doubleheader at Moss Stadium. The Bulldogs scored four times in the second inning to take the opener 4-2. The scheduled seven-inning nightcap went 10 innings before a walk-off triple gave the home team a 3-2 win.

Iona collected four hits in the opener with a double by senior LF Travis Mistretta and singles by rookie 2B Sean Breen, junior 1B Matt Byrne and junior C Alex Beckett. Byrne score twice and recorded two stolen bases while Mistretta and junior DH Lou Matarazzo drove in the Maroon & Gold's runs.

The Gaels scored in their first at bat. After Byrne drew a walk and stole second, Mistretta doubled him home from second base to give Iona a 1-0 advantage. Gardner-Webb led 4-1 after a four-run second frame. In the third, Byrne led off with a bunt base hit and stole second again. He was pushed to third base on a fly ball to the outfield and driven in by a Matarazzo ground out.

Sophomore RHPs Jared Finkel and Joe DeRosa combined in the effort. Finkel pitched five innings alloung four runs on six hits with four strikeouts. DeRosa allowed a hit and walked two batters over three innings.

In game two, Iona spotted its opponent two first inning runs, but knotted the score in the top of the third. Junior 3B Tyler Bruno singled to lead off the inning. He advanced to third two batters later on freshman RF Fran Kinsey's base hit. Byrne doubled in the first run before Breen drove in his classmate with a sacrifice fly to right.

Back-to-back extra base hits for the Bulldogs in the bottom of the 10th inning ended the contest.

Kinsey broke out a 3-for-5 effort with a run scored hitting in the leadoff spot. Byrne collected a hit in his third straight game. Bruno was 2-for-4 and sophomore 1B Matt Flannery and senior C Carmine Palummo each had hits in the loss.

Rookie RHP Antonio Velardi allowed an unearned run in four innings of work with two strikeouts. Junior RHP Vinny Martin walked four batters, including two intentionally but didn't allow a hit in four innings of work. Senior RHP Alex Fishberg took the loss.

The series concludes with a single-game on Sunday.