BOILING SPRINGS, NC - The Iona College baseball team had its second straight extra-inning defeat at the hands of Gardner-Webb in non-conference action at Moss Stadium. The Bulldogs scored a run in the ninth and another in the 11th to defeat the Gaels 9-8.

Iona recorded 17 hits in the contest, with six performers earning multiple hits. Junior Matt Byrne was 3-for-5 with two runs scored an RBI while recording his third stolen base of the weekend. Rookies Fran Kinsey and Sean Breen, seniors Travis Mistretta and Vinny DeMaria and junior Tyler Bruno each had two hits. Mistretta drove in three runs and Kiinsey scored twice and drove in another.

Iona led 5-0 after two innings before a bounce back effort by Gardner-Webb tied the score after five. The Maroon & Gold took an 8-5 lead with single runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. The Bulldogs crawled back with two in their half of the eighth and the equalizer in the ninth. A two-out double in the 11th ended the contest.

Sophomore RHP Patrick Ryan tossed the first 4.2 innings. Junior LHP Andrew Pucillo returned to action after missing all of 2015 with an injury and tossed three innings in relief. Sophomore RHP Kyle Ackley retired the only batter he faced to end the eighth inning. Senior Alex Fishberg took the loss in two innings of work in the ninth and 10th innings.

Iona returns to North Carolina next weekend for a three-game series with NC A&T in Greensboro. Iona will play single games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.