NIAGARA FALLS, NY - After winning three elimination games at the MAAC Baseball Championship, the Iona College baseball team run to a title was halted in the first game of the Championship Round by Marist, 5-1.

After toppling the top seeded Stags of Fairfield in the semifinal round earlier this afternoon, a pair of scoring inning from the Red Foxes was enough to upend the Gaels (25-26) to conclude the weekend. 

Marist scored three runs in the bottom of the second inning, kicked off by a lead off homerun from Andrew Rouse. Patrick Lightner added a RBI single before Matt Iantosca scored on an error to put the second seed ahead 3-0.

Following three scoreless innings, the Red Foxes added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth on three hits. Matt Pagano picked up one RBI on a double to left center followed by a Tyler Kirkpatrick sacrifice fly to push the margin to 5-0.

The Maroon & Gold responded with one run in the next half inning by piecing together a single from Tyler Bruno and double from Joe DeMaio in back-to-back at-bats. 

The Gaels looked to spark a rally in the top of the ninth started by a one out single from Seth Hoagland. With two outs, DeMaio and Fran Kinsey walked to load the bases. However, Tony Romanelli clinched the championship for Marist with a strike out to end the threat and tournament.

In the effort for Iona, freshman Jason Antalek pitched 6.2 innings of relief work with three strikeouts to keep Iona within striking distance. Byrne and Lou Matarazzo added two hits each.

Matt Byrne, Jared Finkel and Bill Maier were all named to the MAAC All-Championship Team. Byrne finished his weekend with nine hits, four RBI, four runs, four stolen bases, two doubles and a home run. Finkel earned placement behind two appearances and two saves while Maier was selected following a complete game, five-strikeout victory in the tournament opener against Manhattan on Wednesday.

The Gaels become the first team to face all five teams in the MAAC Championship since the tournament went to six teams in 2014. The four victories double the previous most for the program in a championship weekend while the overall 25 victories for the season is the most in the 12-year tenure of head coach Pat Carey.