LOUDONVILLE, NY – Eight unanswered runs in the second game of today's doubleheader at Siena helped the Iona College baseball team earn a two-game sweep by claiming MAAC victories of 12-6 and 8-6 in upstate New York.

Game One

Scoring 12 runs in the opener, the Gaels' (16-17, 9-5 MAAC) offense started quickly with two runs in the top of the first. With two runners on and two outs, Sean Scales singled to left center to plate Fran Kinsey with the game's opening run. In the next at-bat on a 2-0 count, Alex Beckett singled home Lou Matarazzo to give the Maroon & Gold a 2-0 advantage.

Siena (14-23-2, 5-9 MAAC) cut the deficit in half in the bottom half of the first inning as Joe Drpich homered to left field, his seventh on the year.

The Gaels maintained a one run lead after three innings as both team scored three in each frame of the third inning. Kinsey scored his second run of the game in the inning on a Matarazzo single before Matt Byrne connected on a two RBI double to right field. The long ball aided the Saints' scoring efforts as Alex Brickman scored three runs on a fence clearing hit to left field.

 Lead 5-4 in the fourth, Matarazzo picked up another RBI with a single in the fourth to score Brian Picone. Iona continued its stretch of four straight scoring innings in the fifth and sixth with a total of three runs to lead 9-4 midway through the sixth. Siena got back two runs in the bottom of the sixth as Drpich tallied two more RBI on a single.

Iona pushed the advantage with another three runs in the eighth innings as Kinsey led off with his first homerun of the season, an 0-1 pitch to left field. Scales drove in Matarazzo for the second run of the inning before scoring on a wild pitch later in the inning.

Kinsey finished the first game with five hits, three runs scored and a RBI while Matarazzo also tallied five hits and three runs scored to along with two RBI. Scales scored three times with three hits and two RBI in addition to Beckett and Byrne each tallying two RBI.

Bill Maier advanced to 6-3 on the year by tossing six innings in the start with seven strikeouts. Andrew Pucillo and Antonio Velardi pitched three combined hitless innings in relief to preserve the win.

Game Two

After Sean Breen scored in the first inning follow back-to-back balks in the nightcap, Siena scored six runs in the bottom of the first to create a five-run lead. The Saints manufactured six hits and were aided by one error Drpich was responsible for the big blow with his second homerun of the day, a three-run blast to left field.

The Gaels were quick with a response, chalking up four runs in the top of the second to pull within 6-5. Joseph Lovecchio scored the first tally on a bases loaded wild pitch before Kinsey singled in two runs. Kinsey scored the final run of the inning on another wild pitch.

Kinsey kept his momentum going into the fourth inning as he tied the game at 6-6 on a sacrifice fly. The rally continued into the fifth inning as three runs came across with two outs. The go ahead run came from Byrne on a wild pitch before a double down the right field line from Seth Hoagland concluded the unanswered eight-run stretch.

Mario Ferraioli earned the victory with 4.1 innings of work out of the bullpen starting in the first inning. Ferraioli struck out five while allowing just two hits. Jared Finkel earned his eighth save of the season with a scoreless eighth and ninth inning. The save moves Finkel into sole possession of second place on the single-season list in Gaels' history, needing one more save to tie the Brian Parish's record of nine from 204.

Kinsey finished the second game with three RBI while Byrne led the team with two hit. Hoagland scored twice and drove in two runs in addition to Lovecchio scoring twice.

The two teams return to action tomorrow afternoon at 12:00 pm to conclude the three-game series at Siena.