NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The Iona College baseball program won its Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opener against Fairfield at City Park on a chilly Saturday afternoon. The Gaels earned a 4-3 victory over the Stags with a strong performance from junior starter Stephen Hansen and heady base running from the top of the order.

GAME SUMMARY

The game began with Fairfield's Tim Zeng singling to left field and stealing second base. He then scored on a RBI single to center field by Anthony Boselli. The Gaels responded immediately with two runs in the bottom half of the first. Juniors Brian Picone and Stephen Furman walked to make it first and second with nobody out. Fairfield starter Austin Pope attempted a pick off at second base but threw it into center field, resulting in two Gaels in scoring position for the heart of the Iona order. Senior Fran Kinsey tied the game with a sacrifice fly to right field and Furman came around with the then-leading run on a wild pitch.
 
Iona increased its lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the third inning. Furman was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a throwing error by Stags catcher Mike Caruso. The Gael designated hitter scored his second run of the game on a pair of wild pitches from Pope. All of the Maroon & Gold's first three runs came across the plate without the courtesy of a hit.
 
Fairfield cut the deficit to one on a pair of hits in the top of the fourth inning. With a runner on first and one out, Dan Ryan doubled deep to left field to make it second and third. Dylan Reynolds brought home Boselli to make it 3-2. Hansen was able to escape the inning with the tying run on third base with a Caruso groundout.
 
The Maroon & Gold starter put forth his strongest outing of the season in his first home start of the year. Hansen went seven full innings and allowed just two earned runs on six hits. He struck out a career-best nine batters. His efforts allowed the duo of Drew Helmstetter and Antonio Velardi to close out the final two innings.
 
Iona's rookie reliever took the hill in the top of the eighth and retired the Stags facing the minimum. Before the Gael veteran closer took the hill in the bottom of the ninth, the Maroon & Gold doubled their lead with a key insurance run. Sophomore Michael Gorman scored on a wild pitch with the bases loaded to make it 4-2.
 
Velardi allowed a leadoff double to short center field to Jack Gethings. Following a lengthy delay due to an injury, the Stags brought the game to within one with Boselli singling to right field. With the tying run on first and nobody out, Velardi hammered down and got a fly out to center field. The game came to an end with Picone turning a four-three double play.
 
The Stags out hit the Gaels in the game, 9-5. Iona took advantage of four Fairfield errors, five free passes and two hit by pitches. Rookie Jake Field, sophomore Dereck Becker, senior Joe DeMaio, Gorman and Punzi all had a single hit. Picone and Furman each reached base twice at the top of the order despite not getting a hit.
 

NOTABLE NUGGETS

• Iona had a season-best three stolen bases against the Stags. Kinsey, Gorman and DeMaio each had one.
• The Gaels tied a season-best with two double plays turned. It had previously done so against Indiana State (Feb. 24) and Fordham (Mar. 8).
• Hansen's nine strikeouts is the most by a Gaels pitcher this season. He and rookie Hunter Sibley are the only two pitchers to throw at least seven full innings for the Maroon & Gold.
• The Gaels stranded 10 runners on base. Picone and Hansen stranded seven base runners combined.

UP NEXT

The Maroon & Gold return to action on Sunday, Mar. 24 with a pair of games against Fairfield beginning at noon. The first game will be seven innings and the second is a full nine. You can follow the Gaels live via live stats on ICGaels.com.

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