Box Score QUEENS, NY – An 11-run second inning allowed 20th ranked St. John's to upend the Iona College baseball program 16-4 earlier this evening in non-conference action at Jack Kaiser Stadium.
In the bottom of the second inning, the Red Storm (32-7) collected 11 hits to help tally 11 runs. The inning started with back-to-back single before the first run, Josh Shaw, scored on a sacrifice fly from Robbie Knightes. Five more singles resulted in the scored increasing to 5-0 for the hosts before Gui Gingras doubled to score two more runs.
Doubles from Troy Dixon and Kyle Cunningham as well as a groundout from Knightes plated three more runs. Cunningham scored the final run of the game on a single from Jamie Galazin to put St. John's ahead 11-0.
Following a RBI from Knightes in the fourth to put the Red Storm ahead 12-0, Iona (17-18) tallied three runs in the top of the fifth to cut into the deficit. A pair of errors on one play allowed Fran Kinsey to reach while Brian Picone scored on the play on the second error. Kinsey later scored on a wild pitch while the third run came on a bases loaded walk to Sean Scales.
A solo of homerun from Mike Antico in the sixth a two-run fence clearing hit from Mark Venice in the seventh helped extend the lead to 15-3 for the Red Storm. Joe DeMaio tallied a RBI single in the eighth to score Matt Byrne, however, St. John's pushed the advantage back to 12 runs in the bottom half of the inning as Josh Greene walked with the bases loaded for the final run scoring play of the day.
The Gaels look ahead to the final home series of the 2017 regular season by hosting Canisius for a three-game set starting on Saturday with a noon doubleheader.
