ASHEVILLE, NC- A two run, ninth inning rally led to a 6-5 win for the Iona College baseball team over UNC Asheville in non-conference action at Greenwood Field. Junior 3B Matt Byrne's RBI single was followed by a sac fly by senior C Carmine Palummo to lead the Gaels to a win in the opener of a three-game set in North Carolina.

Palummo went 1-for-3 with three RBI and Byrne, senior LF Travis Mistretta and junior DH Alex Beckett collected two hits apiece to lead the Maroon & Gold. Mistretta scored twice and the Gaels other RBI came from Byrne, Beckett and junior 1B Lou Matarazzo.

Asheville jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first inning. The Gaels matched the Bulldogs in the fourth with a four-run inning of their own. With two out, rookie 2B Sean Breen doubled to start the rally. Back-to-back singles by Mistretta and Matarazzo led to Iona's first run. Two more base hits by Palummo and Beckett knotted the score at 4-4 after six straight hits by the Maroon & Gold.

The Bulldogs regained the lead in their half of the fourth on a two-out RBI single.

In the decisive ninth inning, Iona quickly got two runners in scoring position on a Mistretta single, and a pinch hit double by rookie Owen McMenamy. Byrne drove in Mistretta by a base hit. On a 2-2 count, Palummo plated the go ahead run with a sacrifice fly to center field.

Senior RHP Alex Fishberg earned his first collegiate save, using nine pitches in a 1-2-3 ninth inning. Sophomore RHP Kyle Ackley struck out the only batter he faced in the eighth inning to earn the win.

With inclement weather forecasted for Sunday, the two teams complete the three-game series tomorrow (Mar. 12) in a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 pm.