NEWARK, DEL - The Iona College baseball team dropped both games to Delaware in Friday's doubleheader at Bob Hannah Stadium. Due to tomorrow's impending weather games one and two of the series were played today and Sunday's afternoon contest has now been canceled as well due to the weather.

In game one, the Gaels fell short by a final score of, 3-2 in a pitchers duel. Despite the loss, senior starting pitcher Blake Helmstetter was phenomenal shutting out Delaware for seven innings. Game two of the afternoon was much different with both offensives leading the way with the Blue Hens outlasting the Gaels, 20-10. Iona's 10 runs and 15 hits were both season-highs.

GAME ONE RECAP: DELAWARE 3, IONA 2

Iona began the afternoon with a leadoff single from senior Nick Carnevale and after stealing second and then reaching third base on a wild pitch, senior Jake Field drove in Carnevale with a sac-fly for the games opening run. 

In the top of the second inning, senior Will Jennings led off with a single followed by grad-student Vicente Mendoza reaching first on a single to right field. With two outs in the inning freshman Anthony Febo extended the Gaels early lead with an RBI double to center field driving in Jennings to make it 2-0 but Mendoza was thrown out trying to score from first on the play. Febo's 2nd inning RBI was the first of his collegiate career.

Given the early lead, Helmstetter did a great job protecting it, limiting Delaware to just three hits through the first four innings, keeping the ball on the ground and in the infield. In the bottom of the fifth Delaware had runners in scoring position for the first time all afternoon, but Helmstetter got Byrce Greenly to fly-out to escape the jam.

With the Gaels trying to add to the lead Mendoza lined his third hit of the afternoon with a one-out double to right field but Delaware's starting pitcher Chris Ludman kept the Gaels off the board, keeping the score at 2-0. 

Helmstetter continued to work quickly and efficiently, retiring Delaware in order in the 6th and 7th inning. Helmstetter finished the afternoon recording only two strikeouts but got the Blue Hens to fly-out 13 times and ground out 7 times. His 7.1 innings pitched is the longest outing of his career, passing the 6.1 innings he pitched at Fairfield last April.

Unfortunately in the bottom of the 8th, Delaware finally broke through scoring three runs off an RBI double and two RBI singles, to take a 3-2 advantage. In the ninth Mendoza reached base for the fourth time of the game on a leadoff walk, but Iona couldn't advance him as Delaware would take game one of the doubleheader, 3-2.

Iona had multiple player hit triples with senior Luca Lotito and junior Nick Forney each hitting three baggers and Mendoza's three hits were a career-high in a game. 

GAME TWO RECAP: DELAWARE 20, IONA 10

Similar to game one, Iona struck first, scoring three runs on four hits in the opening inning. For the second straight game Carnevale led things off with a single; Lotito followed up by doubling to left field, setting up an RBI opportunity for Field. Field drove in Carnevale on a FC and Lotito reached home safely after a wild pitch and the Maroon & Golds final run of the inning came off the bat of Bowman who lined an RBI double bringing in Forney. 

Delaware quickly chipped into the lead, scoring two runs in the first inning and then three more runs in the second to take a 5-3 lead. The Blue Hens added to their lead, scoring four more runs in the third and three more runs in the fourth to extend the lead to 12-3 after four innings of play.

The Gaels got two back in the fifth, led by Lotito's second triple of the day who would come around to score two batters after on a wild pitch. Later in the inning with Field on second Jennings drove Field in with an RBI single for his first RBI of the season. 

Trailing 13-5 in the top half of the sixth inning, hits from sophomore Jim Kemp and Carnevale set up an RBI opportunity for Lotito who delivered for his third hit of the game, with an RBI double cutting the deficit to 13-7.

In the seventh inning the Gaels managed to put together a two-out rally that started with Kemp reaching base on a walk followed by a double from senior Brad Polinsky. Carnevale came up and scored Kemp on an RBI single for his third hit of the game and Field walked to bring in Polinsky for his second RBI of the game. The Gaels 10th run of the game came off the bat of Kemp who drove in Jennings on an RBI single in the top half of the 8th.

Delaware's offense drove in four more runs in their last plate appearance as the Blue Hens took game two to sweep the doubleheader by a final score of, 20-10.

UP NEXT

With Sunday's game canceled due to weather, the Gaels next game will now be Wednesday, March 16th when they take on Stony Brook on the road at 3:00 PM. 

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