GAME ONE: Iona 6, Saint Peter's 4

Junior Stephen Hansen earned his fourth win of the season in his final start of the 2019 campaign. Iona's ace went six innings allowing seven hits and one walk resulting in four Saint Peter's runs. Hansen did strike out 10 batters. He concluded the season reaching double-digit Ks in three of his final five starts.
 
Iona took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on single to left field by rookie Jake Field, scoring junior Brian Picone. The Peacocks tied the game at one in the home half, but the Maroon & Gold kept up the pressure in the third and fourth innings.
 
Sophomore Sam Punzi hit his second home run of the season to dead center field to give Iona a 2-1 edge. Come the fourth inning, the Gaels pushed across four runs on four hits. The big blast in the inning was a three run home run off the bat of senior Niko Switalla. Graduate Jon Budesa scoring the initial run in the inning on a single to left center by sophomore Michael Gorman. Iona could have scored more, leaving Picone and Punzi stranded on base.
 
Saint Peter's made things interesting with the sixth inning. The Peacocks scored three runs on four hits to pull within two with three innings to go. They scored all their hits on singles. Over the final three innings, rookie Drew Helmstetter and Antonio Velardi allowed just one run in securing the game one victory.
 
Gorman had a team-best three of Iona's 12 total hits. Punzi and Budesa each had two hits. All but one starter had at least one hit. However, each starter did reach base safely. The Maroon & Gold left 11 runners on base.
 
Saint Peter's leadoff hitter Andrew Connor had three hits and two runs scored. Hunter Mason had two hits from the three-hole. The Peacocks used six pitchers in the game. Stephen Carbona tossed a team-high 2.2 innings and suffered the losing decision allowing five earned runs on six hits one walk and two wild pitches.

GAME TWO: Iona 9, Saint Peter's 4

Iona's offense answered the bell in game two and the Maroon & Gold pitching staff was able to scamper away from danger in route to its double-header sweep on Thursday. The Gaels had 15 hits and drew three walks against three different Peacock pitchers to constantly apply the pressure.
 
Saint Peter's took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on a RBI single to third base by Jared Paladino. The second inning led to a turning of the tide that shifted the momentum permanently in the Maroon & Gold's favor. Junior Stephen Furman had his first of many RBI with a single to score senior Fran Kinsey. It was followed up by DeMaio flying out to left field, scoring Furman to make it 2-1. Then the top of the order came through with Switalla delivering a double to left field, scoring rookie Daniel Palermo to make it 3-1.
 
In the third inning, Furman came up with the bases loaded and cleared them all with a deep double to center field. He then came around to score and make the score 7-1 on Gorman's one-bagger up the middle.
 
Saint Peter's scored one run in the fifth and sixth inning, but Iona added two more tallies in the top of the seventh to push the scoreboard to its final reading, 9-4.
 
Junior Chris Dodrill picked up his second win of the season going six innings and working around 12 hits and two walks. He struck out five Peacocks. Velardi closed out the game for a second time, retiring the side in order on 15 pitches.
 
Steve Epstein suffered the loss for Saint Peter's going three innings and allowing seven earned runs on 11 hits and one walk.
 
Again Connor had three hits from the leadoff spot for the Peacocks. Mason scored two runs and had a single hit and run batted in. Jared Quintero had three hits and two runs batted in.
 
The Gaels batting lineup was littered with hits from top to bottom. Switalla reached base four times. Field, Kinsey, Furman, Gorman and DeMaio had two hits each.

NOTABLE NUGGETS

• In game two, the Gaels had a season-best eight doubles. All two-baggers came from eight different batters.
• In game two, Furman tied his season-best and the team's highest individual RBI single-game total with four.
• DeMaio stole a season-best two bases in game two.
• Iona's two home runs in its 6-4 win is the fifth multi-HR game this season. Its' their first since Apr. 20 against Niagara.
• Dodrill allowed a season-high 12 hits in his win during game two.
• Gorman has moved into a tie for the team lead in multi-hit games with 11. He is tied with Kinsey. Field, Punzi, DeMaio and Furman each had 10 games with at least two hits. Switalla has tied Field for the team-lead with seven multi-RBI games.
• Senior Garrett Murray started game one on Saturday. It was the second start of the season and second of his career.

UP NEXT

Iona plays its final game of the season tomorrow afternoon at 12:00 p.m. in Jersey City, NJ at Joseph J. Jaroschak Field. Follow the Gaels via live stats.

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