WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY– The Iona College baseball team dropped a pair of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference contests against the Manhattan Jaspers at Dutchess Stadium on Saturday.

GAME ONE: MANHATTAN 5, IONA 2

The Jaspers exploded for five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Manhattan's number nine batter Jonathan Barditch led off with a leadoff double down the right field line. After advancing to third on a pass ball, he scored on a sacrifice fly from Sam Franco. Manhattan made it 2-0 with an RBI double from Dominc Palma following back-to-back-singles. Iona's deficit doubled to four runs with Alex Cerda hitting another two-bagger to right field. Cerda came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Keury Abreu.
 
The Gaels offense put runners on base over the first four innings but were retired in order from the fifth inning until rookie Daniel Palermo broke up the cold stretch with one out single in the eighth inning.
 
The Maroon & Gold's offensive broke through a bit too late in the top of the ninth inning. Senior Niko Switalla opened it up with a double to right field and advanced to third on a sacrifice fly from sophomore Sam Punzi. Switalla scored on a seeing-eye single batted by junior Stephen Furman. The first basemen later scored on a groundout to tally the final run of the game.
 
Rookie Jake Field went 2-for-4 with a double. Switalla, Punzi, Furman and Palermo each had one hit. The middle of Iona batting order went 5-for-14 while the one-two and seven through nine batters hit a combined 1-for-18.
 
Manhattan's John Cain pitched into the ninth inning. His final line read 8.1 innings, surrendering two earned runs on six hits and two walks. He faced 33 batters and threw 110 pitches. Joe DiTorrice came on two get the final two outs and earned his first save of the season.
 
Junior Stephan Hansen started the game for Iona and went six innings and surrendered five earned runs on 10 hits and two walks. Hansen struck out seven of the 30 Jaspers he faced. Junior Henry Conroy threw the final two innings and surrendered zero hits while earning three Ks.

GAME TWO: MANHATTAN 5, IONA 0

Manhattan limited the Gael bats in the seven-inning finale on Saturday. Iona had four hits, two of which came from Palermo in the two-hole. Punzi had his second double of the day and both Field and Furman collected a single. Iona did not walk once in the game.
 
Freshman Hunter Sibley stared on the mound for the Maroon & Gold. The Jaspers took a lead they wouldn't look back from in the first inning when Shawn Blake hit a round-tripper over the right field fence. They added a pair of runs in the bottom of the second on RBIs from Franco and Abreu. Mahattan's final two runs came in the bottom of the fourth on an Iona fielding error.
 
Iona left five runners on base. It struck out eight times against Manhattan's game two starter T.J. Stuart. Sibley went the first five innings for the Maroon & Gold. Three of the five runs scored against him were earned. Junior Jason Goetz pitched the bottom of the sixth and retired three batters on just five pitches.

NOTABLE NUGGETS

• In game one, Iona's lone two walks of the game came in the first inning. It is the fewest amount of walks in a game since Mar. 24 against Fairfield when the Gaels had none. Iona tied its season-low in game two on Saturday. The two walks against Manhattan is the lowest in a two-game stretch this season since Mar. 8 and Mar. 9 against Hofstra and Fordham when the Gaels walked once each game.
• Following game one, Switalla had reached base nine straight games. It is a new career-best. He had reached base seven straight games as a sophomore in 2017. Both Punzi and Field are currently riding streaks of nine games as well.
• Iona and Manhattan did not play last season. Previous to Saturday's pair of games, the Gaels had won three of the last four against the Jaspers.

UP NEXT

Iona and Manhattan wrap up the regular season series tomorrow in Wappingers Falls, NY at noon. Follow the action via live stats.

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