BRONX, NY – The Iona College baseball program lost a pair of games to the Fordham Rams on Sunday at Houlihan Park. The Rams swept the Gaels over the weekend series.
GAME ONE: Fordham 16, Iona 2
After a scoreless first inning, Fordham scored three runs in the bottom of the second inning on one it. Nick Labella led the inning off with a double, and eventually came around to score on a walk. There was an unsuccessful fielder's choice by the Iona defense, a walk, and two sacrifice flies that also contributed to the three runs.
The Rams sent 14 batters to the plate in the bottom of the third inning. Fordham scored eight runs on eight hits and two errors. After three full innings, Iona trailed 11-0.
A Gael fielding error started the bottom of the fourth inning and Fordham took advantage plating three more runs to increase its lead. The last two runs of the Rams came in the bottom of the fifth inning on three hits.
Iona's two runs came in the top of the ninth inning on a home run by
Tyler Cannon that also brought
Will Jennings home.
Fordham outhit Iona, 17-8. 12 Rams players had at least out hit. Matt Tarabek, C.J. Vazquez and Terrence Murray all had three runs batted in. Fordham left 12 runners on base.
Ryan Casey had two hits for the Maroon & Gold. Jennings and
Derek Becker each walked twice.
Five different Iona pitchers appeared in the game.
Quentin Crudo and
Jason Antalek combined to throw 3.2 scoreless innings.
Mario Ferraioli is credited with the loss.
Fordham's Cory Wall earned the win going the first five innings striking out five Iona batters and surrendering three hits.
GAME TWO: Fordham 11, Iona 0
Fordham jumped on top of Iona early and led 6-0 after two innings. In the second inning they got a triple from Jake Baker and a home run by Tarabek as part of a five running inning that featured four hits and one Iona error.
Baker got an RBI single in the fourth frame to make the score 7-0. In its next at-bat, Fordham scored two runs on one hit and two Maroon & Gold miscues. The big at-bats were a Billy Godrick double and Tarabek sacrifice fly. The top of the sixth inning saw the final two runs of the game cross the plate. An Iona wild pitch allowed Colton Snelling to scamper home and Alvin Melendez made it 11-0 scoring on a sacrifice fly.
Iona had seven hits in the game with a pair coming from both
Jake Liberatore and
Sam Punzi. Jennings, cannon and Casey all had one hit.
Vicente Mendoza suffers the loss for Iona going the opening 3.1 innings.
Zach Grace, Brandon Smit and
James Sharkey also saw action out of the bullpen.
Fordham used five pitchers in the game. The winning starter was John Stankiewicz, who went five innings while striking out nine batters.
Iona committed five errors in the field in game two.
UP NEXT
Iona turns the page quickly with a game at Stony Brook on Tuesday, March 10 on Joe Nathan Field. There are
live stats available for Gaels fans to follow.
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