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Iona University Athletics

Sam Punzi
Stockton Photo Inc.
3
Winner Quinnipiac QUI 22-25, 13-5 MAAC
2
Iona College ION 12-34, 6-12 MAAC
Winner
Quinnipiac QUI
22-25, 13-5 MAAC
3
Final
2
Iona College ION
12-34, 6-12 MAAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 R H E
Quinnipiac QUI 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 5 1
Iona College ION 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 8 3

W: Andrew Workman (3-3) L: Sharkey, James (0-1) S: Matthew Draper (2)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Jonathan Stanko

Quinnipiac Defeats Iona In Marathon At City Park

NEW ROCHELLE, NY – Iona and Quinnipiac battled in a marathon on Monday, May 6. After 14 innings where both team had multiple scoring chances, the Bobcats emerged the victor at City Park, 3-2.

GAME SUMMARY

The Maroon & Gold pitchers were stellar throughout the game in the loss. They held Quinnipiac to five hits overall, and only two until the deciding final frame. Bobcat starting shortstop Kevin Huscher had the Bobcats third hit to lead off the top of the 14th inning. He was sacrificed over successfully in scoring position. James Sharkey was on the mound for Iona and got the Gaels to within one out away from escaping danger with a crucial strike out. However, Bobcat three-hitter Ian Ostberg deflated Iona with a single through the right side off the diving glove of Will Jennings at second base, allowing Huscher to cross with the leading and winning run. Quinnipiac had one more hit in the inning, but Sharkey stranded the pair.
 
The Bobcats closed out the game with Matthew Draper on the mound. He retired Iona in order to put an end to the MAAC weekend. The Gaels faced four different pitchers, the most crucial being Andrew Workman who worked 6.2 scoreless innings of relief. Iona got both of its runs off of Bobcat starter, Arthur Correira.
 
In the bottom of the fifth inning, seniors Niko Switalla and Fran Kinsey reached with one out. It propped a pitching change and Colin Donnelly toed the rubber. Junior Sam Punzi welcomed him with a deep blast to the left center gap that caromed off of the outfielder's glove. The error allowed Kinsey to advance to second and Switalla came around to score the game first run. Punzi was created with the RBI seeing how Switalla had advanced to third Kinsey's single.
 
Rookie Jake Field came up and advanced Kinsey with a groundout fielder's choice. With runners on first and third, Donnelly threw over to first and had Field picked off. However, the heady veteran on third booked it for home and the double steal worked to perfection as Kinsey slid past Quinnipiac's tag attempt to give the Maroon & Gold a 2-0 lead.
 
The start of Iona's steady pitching began with freshman Hunter Sibley. The rookie struck out a career-best nine batters over six innings, and his only run allowed came in his final frame. Through 5 2/3 innings, Sibley did not allow a hit. Osterberg finally gave the Bobcats a tally in that column with an RBI single to right field, scoring Huscher who had walked with one out. Sibley threw 99 pitches and faced 22 batters.
 
The Gaels maintained a 2-1 lead entering the top of the ninth inning. Freshman Paul Sullivan was in his second inning of work when the leadoff man Evan Vulgamore reached base on a fielding error and advanced to second base. He was sacrificed over to third by Colton Bender. The Gaels made a pitching change, bringing in senior Antonio Velardi. Quinnipiac's Dylan Lutz was able to left a 2-2 pitch to right field and Iona's Daniel Palermo gunned home but was just a beat late as Vulgamore tied the game.
 
Both teams had scoring chances in the extra innings before the 14th. Quinnipiac left the bases loaded in the 10th and runners on second and third in the 11th. Iona had runners on first and third in the 11th but Switalla's rocket line drive was tracked down by Brian Moskey in centerfield.

NOTABLE NUGGETS

  • The Gaels have played in four extra-innings game this season. They are 1-3 in such games, and Monday's game was the longest of the season.
  • Iona had a unique starting lineup in the game; Brian Picone started at third base for the first time with Will Jennings taking the starting lineup spot at second base. Fellow freshman Jake Field started as the designated hitter.
  • Overall the Gaels outhit the Bobcats, 8-5 and Quinnipiac left 14 runners on base compared to 11 for Iona. The victorious visitors were 12-for-28 (.429) in advancement opportunities. The Maroon & Gold were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and 1-for-14 with two outs.
  • Iona had a season-high 49 at-bats and 42 put outs as a team.
  • The Gaels have scored more than three runs just once since Apr. 20. Prior to that, they had scored four-plus runs in six straight games when they went 5-1.
  • The Iona pitchers struck out 15 batters combined, the second most this season. The season-high was 16 against Albany on Mar. 27.

UP NEXT

The Gaels play their final home series this upcoming weekend against Monmouth. Iona and the Hawks play two on Saturday, May 11 beginning at noon, and on Sunday, May 12, head coach Paul Panik and the program will honor the program's five student-athletes who are playing in their final home game; Fran Kinsey, Niko Switalla, Jon Budesa, Joe DeMaio and Garrett Murray.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Be sure to follow Iona College athletics on all social media platforms:
ICGaels: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (Email Updates)
Iona Baseball: Twitter and YouTube (Email Updates)
 


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