NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The Siena starting pitching was able to hold the Iona College baseball team to just two runs in each game of today's doubleheader on the way to a two-game sweep, 15-2 and 3-2.
Game One
Tommy Miller was able to earn his first win of the season for the Saints (2-17, 2-0 MAAC) in today's opener after working around a solo home run from
Lou Matarazzo in the bottom of the second in addition to being supported by 13 of the team's 15 runs in the fourth and fifth inning.
After Matarazzo led off the bottom of the second inning with an opposite field homerun to put Iona (4-15, 0-2 MAAC) ahead with the opening run of the game, Siena responded by batting around the lineup in both the fourth and the fifth.
Brian Kelly pushed the visitors ahead behind a two RBI double in the fourth and later scored after back-to-back singles. Zach Durfee added a two RBI triple to right center as the Saints posted seven runs on seven hits in the frame.
Siena tallied six more runs in the fifth that included a two RBI double to left field from Jordan Bishop. Trailing 13-1,
Brian Picone notched a RBI double to secure the second run of the game for the Gaels. The Saints added a run in each of the seventh and eighth innings to round out the final score of 15-2.
In the end, Miller was the story for Siena as the left-handed pitcher went the full 9.0 innings with seven strikeouts and no walks while scattering eight hits.
Kelly and Jonathan Crimmin each recorded four hits in the opener with Kelly tallying three runs and two RBI. Nico Ramos was able to register three RBI without a hit as every member of the Siena lineup registered at least one RBI.
In the effort for Iona,
Kyle Ackley and
Michael DeSanti both put forth an inning of work with no earned runs as Ackley struck out two in the fourth.
Tyler Bruno finished with two hits in the opener.
Game Two
Siena continued the offensive groove into the opening inning of the nightcap with two runs to start the game. Three straight one-out singles produced the first run of the game with Kelly driving in Bishop. As the runners advanced to second and third on the throw, Joe Drpich scored on a sacrifice fly from Crimmin to put the visitors ahead 2-0 after the first half inning.
Following a scoreless third and fourth inning, the Maroon & Gold cut into the deficit with a run in the fourth. With one out,
Sean Scales tripled to left center and scored on the next at-bat at Matarazzo singled to center. Iona was able to load the bases with only one out, however, Brendan White was able to produce a pop out and ground out to end the threat.
Siena pushed the margin back to two runs immediately as Kelly scored on a Phil Madonna single in the top of the fifth. Iona was also up to the response as three straight singles with one out in the bottom of the fifth as Scales scored
Fran Kinsey. White was once again able to work around the threat behind a fly out and strike out to end the inning.
White went on to retire the next six batters for Iona that included two strikeouts to finish the complete game, seven-inning effort. The right-hander finished with five strikeouts and no walks on the afternoon.
Offensively, Madonna led the Saints with two hits while Bruno and Scales each tallied a pair of hits for Iona.
Joe DeRosa started the opening six innings for the Gaels with
Dan McBryan tossing a scoreless seventh behind a strikeout on just nine pitches.
The three-game MAAC series will conclude on Monday afternoon at 2 pm from City Park.
