FAIRFAX, VA – The Iona College baseball program earned a sweep over George Mason on Sunday afternoon with its most dominating win over the weekend, 6-0. The Maroon & Gold outhit the Patriots 16-2 with six Gaels have two or more hits.
Vicente Mendoza made his first start of the season and went six full innings allowing two hits and two walks while striking out a pair.
Zach Grace tossed the final three innings facing the minimum of batters and striking out four.
GAME SUMMARY
The first two innings were pedestrian for both teams with each stranding a single base runner. Iona nearly broke through in the top of the third inning. The bottom of the Maroon & Gold order set the table with
Luca Lotito and
Ryan Casey both batting singles.
Brian Picone had a base knock to right center and the bases were loaded for the heart of the Iona order scheduled. George Mason's starter Patrick Halligan was able to retire
Jake Field and Vincente Mendoza and keep the Gaels at bay.
After a scoreless fourth inning, Iona's tease of the third inning came to fruition in the top of the fifth. Casey hit the first pitch he saw and singled to third base. Then
Jake Liberatore bashed the first pitch he saw for a double to left center to plate Iona's first run of the game. Picone walked on four pitches and Field came through with a single up the middle to plate Liberatore and make it 2-0. Mendoza drove home Iona's third run of the inning with a groundout to the shortstop, allowing Picone to cross home plate.
The Maroon & Gold loaded the bases in the top of the sixth inning for a second time, but an untimely double play ended the potential rally.
The last hit the Patriots got in the game came in the bottom of the sixth inning. Overall George Mason was quelled in the batter's box for the entire game. Mendoza surrendered singles in the first and sixth inning, and only once allowed a runner to get into scoring position
After Iona made the game 4-0 in the top of the seventh inning with a
Will Jennings single, the Maroon & Gold turned to Grace to put the final clamps on the game. He retired George Mason in order over the final three innings.
The Gaels scored their final two runs in the top of the ninth inning. Picone doubled to right center scoring Lotito and Liberatore for the game's final tallies.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- Iona's three game winning streak is its longest since it won four in a row in mid-April last season. The Gaels beat Rider twice, Albany in a non-conference game, and Niagara during the stretch. It is also the first three-game sweep of a single opponent since April 2017 when Iona won three straight games at Siena.
- The Gaels finished with a season-best 42 at-bats, 16 hits, four doubles, five walks, and two stolen bases. Iona stranded 15 runners on base.
- Liberatore leads the Maroon & Gold with five multi-hit games. He is currently running a five-game hitting streak.
- Field and Picone each have an Iona-best seven-game hitting streak.
- Iona has been hit by a pitch in seven straight games. It grounded into a double play for the first time in 2020 on Sunday.
UP NEXT
Iona's next game is local. On Wednesday, March 4 the Gaels travel to Teaneck, NJ for a single game against Fairleigh Dickinson at the Naimoli Family Baseball Complex. Fans who can't make the game can follow Iona via
live stats.
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)
