PISCATAWAY, NJ – The Iona College baseball program fell on the road to Rutgers University on Wednesday, Apr. 24. The Scarlett Knights bested the Gaels, 7-2, scoring all their runs in the first three innings. Sophomore Sam Punzi and senior Joe DeMaio each had two hits in the defeat.

GAME SUMMARY

Rutgers' first five base runners reached base in the bottom of the first inning. Mike Nyisztor started the game reaching on an error and came around to score on a RBI single by Kevin Welsh. After Welsh was caught stealing, Tim Dezzi singled to left field and Tyler McNamara doubled to left field to make the throw, 2-0. The final run of the frame crossed the plate via a second field error.
 
Come the second inning, the Scarlett Knights played small ball to plate to pair of runs. Victor Valderrama and Luke Bowerbank reached base to start the frame with a single and a walk. They were sacrificed in scoring position and brought home by Nyisztor.
 
Iona scored its lone run in the top of the third inning. DeMaio led off with a double up the middle. Senior Niko Switalla walked to make it first and second. Following an infield fly, Punzi punched a single to left field that plated DeMaio.
 
The final two runs of the game were scored in the home half of the third. Junior Henry Conroy started the game for the Gaels and was replaced in the third by sophomore Michael DeSanti. He put runners on second and third with nobody out and surrendered his first run on a sacrifice fly by Valderrama. DeSanti walked four batters in the frame and allowed the second run to score on a wild pitch.
 
Conroy threw 41 pitches over his two innings of work. Rutgers scored five runs off of him, three earned, on five hits and two walks. The Gaels eventually used six pitchers on the day. The final quartet of Michael Untracht, Paul Sullivan, Drew Helmstetter and James Sharkey tossed the final five innings and allowed just two hits and two walks.
 
The Gaels scored two runs in the top of the ninth inning. Freshman Will Jennings doubled to left field and played rookie Daniel Palermo. DeMaio followed up with a sacrifice fly that scored rookie Shaun Hillis.
 
The Scarlett Knights used four pitchers in the game. Jack Parkinson started the game and earned the winning decision. He pitched the first five innings, allowing one earned run on three hits and two walks.

NOTABLE NUGGETS

• Rutgers was 12-for-20 in advancement opportunities.
• Both teams combined to go hitless against left handed pitchers, 0-for-13. Both the Gaels & Scarlett Knights pitching combined to go 0-for-17 hitting with two outs.
• Iona's two extra-base hits came from the bottom two in its order.
• Sullivan has gone three straight outings allowing one earned run over 5.1 innings. In his previous three appearances prior, he had surrendered 15 earned runs.

UP NEXT

Iona's next MAAC series begins on Saturday, Apr. 27 at 12:00 p.m. in Loudonville, NY against the Siena Saints.
 
The Gaels return home to City Park on Saturday, May 4 for a conference series against Quinnipiac. The final home weekend is starts on Saturday, May 11 against Monmouth, and concludes on Sunday, May 12 with senior day taking place before the noontime game.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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