PISCATAWAY, NJ - The Iona College baseball team was defeated in a non-conference matchup against Rutgers, 13-8 in eight innings.

Senior LF Travis Mistretta and junior DH Lou Matarazzo led the Gaels with three hits and three RBI apiece. Seniors SS Vinny DeMaria, C Carmine Palummo and freshman RF Fran Kinsey each had two hits, with Kinsey knocking in a RBI.

The Scarlet Knights struck early with one run in the second and four more in the third to lead 5-0. 

Iona finally got going in the fifth; with Kinsey and DeMaria on courtesy of singles, Mistretta stepped to the plate and lined a single up the middle to bring home Kinsey. The next batter, Matarazzo knocked a three run homer over the left field fence. Rutgers now led 5-4.

Rutgers tacked on one more in the bottom of the fifth to go up 6-4. The Maroon & Gold answered back in the top of the sixth with a Kinsey RBI single to right field, scoring junior 3B Seth Hoagland. Kinsey would score the second run of the inning on a errant throw by 3B Carmen Sclafani. Ballgame was the tied up at 6-6. 

The Scarlet Knights scored one more in the sixth and then another six runs in the seventh on four hits to go up 13-6. Iona rallied two more runs in the top of the eight on Mistretta's two RBI single up the middle that scored DeMaria and Kinsey to bring the final score 13-8. 

Junior LHP Andrew Pucillo got the start for Iona, going two and a third innings and giving up five runs on six hits. Sophomore RHP Joe DeRosa came on in relief, going two and two third innings with two strike outs and one unearned run. Sophomore RHP Kyle Ackley got credit with the loss, only going two thirds of the sixth inning and giving up one run on one hit. Junior RHP Vinny Martin came in relief of Ackley for one inning, but was touched up for six runs on four hits. Senior RHP Alex Fishberg closed out the bottom of the seventh for the Gaels. 

Kevin Baxter was credited with the win for the Scarlet Knights as he pitched in relief in the sixth inning. Max Herrmann was credited with the save. 

The Maroon & Gold head to UNC Asheville for a three-game weekend series starting Friday (Mar. 11) at 3:00 pm.