FARMVILLE, VA – Seven runs in the eighth and ninth innings propelled the Iona College baseball team to a 7-6 win in rally fashion at Longwood in the first of a three-game weekend series.

Trailing 6-0 heading into the top of the eighth, the Maroon & Gold (4-7) led off the inning with a walk to Matt Flannery before Stephen Hansen put runners on the corners with a single to right center. Two batters later, Seth Hoagland put the Gaels on the board with a RBI single.

A hit-by-pitch on Dion Austrie loaded the bases for Fran Kinsey who drove in one with a single. The bases remained loaded with two outs for Niko Switalla as the junior was also hit by a pitch to bring in Hoagland with the third run of the game. Lou Matarazzo drew the same fate as Switalla with a hit by pitch to score Austrie and bring Iona within 6-4.

Back-to-back walks to Hansen and Tyler Bruno opened the top of the ninth before Hoagland laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over. Austrie walked in the next at-bat to loaded the bases for a Kinsey who doubled down the right field line to score a pair and tie the game at 6-6.

Austrie advanced to third on the Kinsey double and gave Sean Scales runners on the corners with just one out. The senior shortstop came through for the Gaels with an infield single to plate Austrie and put the team ahead 7-6.

In the ninth, Mario Ferraioli closed out the win with his second save of the season by striking out one and producing two fly balls to right field to help work around an infield error.

Kinsey and Hansen shared the team-high of three hits on the afternoon while Kinsey knocked in three runs while Hasen scored twice. The combination of Jason Goetz and Kyle Ackley helped keep Iona within striking distance out of the bullpen with a combined scoreless inning as Ackley moved to 1-0 on the year.

The final two games of the series will begin tomorrow at noon with a doubleheader now scheduled.