MOUNT PLEASANT, SC – New Mexico State won a pair of baseball games against Iona College on Saturday afternoon.
Derek Becker and
Jim Pasquale had three runs batted in for the Gaels over the course of the two games at Presley Askew Field.
GAME ONE: NEW MEXICO STATE 9, IONA 6
In a mirror reflection of Friday's game, one bad inning doomed the Maroon & Gold in game one of their double-header against the Aggies on Saturday. New Mexico took an early 2-0 lead but after 5 ½ innings it was the Gaels who held a 6-2 lead.
Iona scored its six runs in the fifth and sixth innings.
Jake Field started it off with a double to right center in the fifth, which was followed immediately by a Vincente Mendoza walk and
Stephen Furman single to load the bases.
Derek Becker walked on a full count for the Maroon & Gold's first run of the game.
Head coach
Paul Panik made a substitution and put
Jim Pasquale in for
Julian Thompson. Pasquale took a 1-2 pitch and singled it through the left side, scoring Furman and Mendoza. New Mexico State made a pitching change bringing in Lyle Hibbits and his relief resulted in an Iona double play then strikeout to end the threat.
Leading 3-2 after five full innings, the Gaels tacked on three more runs in the sixth inning.
Brian Picone led off the inning being hit by a pitch. After a pair of batters were retired, Mendoza walked and Furman trotted down to first after being hit with a pitch. Becker made New Mexico pay with a single to right field, scoring Picone and Mendoza. Immediately after Pasquale had a second hit go to center field and plate Furman.
Come the bottom of the sixth inning, the Aggies trailed 6-2. Iona starter
Mario Ferraioli was replaced by
James Gosweiler after New Mexico State got scored a run on two hits. Upon Gosweiler's entry, the Aggies got an RBI single from Tristan Stacy. He stole second based and advanced to third on a base knock from Zerek Saenz. New Mexico State drew back-to-back walks and it was 6-5 when
Brendan Smith took the mound for the Gaels.
Austin Duffy drove home the game-tying run with a sacrifice fly to left field. Tristan Peterson gave the Aggies a 7-6 lead crossing home plate on a wild pitch. New Mexico State ended the bottom of the sixth with five runs on four hits and two walks.
Iona fell behind by two additional runs after the Aggies plated one insurance run in each the seventh and eighth inning.
Ferraioli started the game for the Maroon & Gold and went 5.1 innings allowing four earned runs on eight hits and two walks. Gosweiler is credited with the loss. Smith and Paul O'Sullivan each had one run scored against them in relief.
Pasquale had a team-best two hits in the game. Picone, Field, Furman and Becker each had one hit. Mendoza drew three walks.
Frank Dickson Jr. pitched the last three innings and earned the win for New Mexico State.
GAME TWO: New Mexico State 8, Iona 1
The Aggies jumped out in front in the bottom of the first inning. Their first three batters reach the game with a walk, hit by pitch and walk. In the cleanup spot, Duffy singled to left field and plated two runners. Iona starter
Ryan Martin got two strikeouts after the Duffy base knock, but Jason Bush made the Gaels pay for an error with a two-run single to centerfield that made the score 4-0.
Iona's offense mustered together a run in the top of the fourth inning. Working with two outs, Mendoza laced a triple down the right field line.
Tyler Cannon singled to left field on the first pitch he saw and Mendoza scored to make the score, 4-1.
New Mexico State rebounded right away in the bottom half of the fourth inning. Tommy Tabak led the inning off with a single to left field and advanced to second on a ground out. Nick Gonzales singled to center field to make it a four run lead for the home team after five innings.
Martin was relieved by
Zach Grace after throwing 4.1 innings. New Mexico State scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, both credited to Martin. Grace ended up pitching 1.2 innings, allowing one earned run scattering about three hits and four walks.
Jason Antalek and
Jason Goetz threw scoreless the eighth and ninth innings for the Maroon & Gold.
Iona's offense scattered five hits and drew five walks. Furman and Becker each drew a pair of walks in the bottom of the order.
Chris Barraza started game two for the Aggies going 6.0 innings allowing one hit on four hits and three walks. He struck out five Gaels. Alex Pinedo threw three innings of relief.
UP NEXT
The Gaels play one against New Mexico State tomorrow, Sunday, February 23. The game from Presley Askew Stadium begins at 1 PM EST. There is
live audio,
live video, and
live stats during all the games. Fans attending the game can get tickets at the
New Mexico State box office.
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)
