BROOKVILLE, NY - The Iona College Baseball team fell on the road to LIU in both games of the doubleheader, concluding the weekend series at LIU Baseball Stadium. In game one despite homeruns from grad-student Vicente Mendoza and senior Will Jennings the Gaels still fell 12-4, and in game two Iona's offense stalled, falling 6-0 to the Sharks.

GAME ONE RECAP: LIU 12, IONA 4

LIU began the afternoon scoring two runs off the bat of Luke Turner on his RBI single in the opening inning. Iona starter senior Blake Helmstetter managed to limit the damage with an inning ending ground out. 

In the top half of the second, on a 2-2 count Mendoza launched his first career home run to left center field, cutting the deficit to 2-1, beginning what would be a three-hit game from the Norwood, Massachusetts native. 

In the bottom half of the inning with the bases loaded and zero outs, Helmsttetter recorded his first strikeout, but with runners still in scoring position LIU took advantage, driving in four runs  extending the lead to 6-1 after two innings of play.

With senior Jake Field and Mendoza already on board after singles, sophomore Jaz Burton worked a two-out walk to load up the bases for the Gaels in the fourth inning but LIU starter Jalen Wade got a key fly-out to keep the game at 6-1.

 In the bottom half of the inning LIU added another run off an RBI single and in the fifth inning, the Sharks opened up the lead to 11-1 after scoring four more runs off four hits.

In the sixth inning junior Nick Forney reached base off an error, setting up Jennings's two-run blast to right field for his second homer in as many games. Jennings now leads Iona in home runs with two on the season with four of his five RBI's coming in the two game stretch.

Trailing 12-3, the Gaels managed to score one more run after sophomore Jim Kemp ripped a double down the left line and senior Nick Carnevale brought him in on an RBI single. The Sharks got out of the inning picking up a strikeout to take game one of the doubleheader, 12-4.

GAME TWO RECAP: LIU 6, IONA 0

Getting the start in the game two freshman Nick Chiaia got some help from his defense early on, with senior catcher Brad Polinsky throwing out two runners trying to steal in the first inning. Polinsky in total threw out three runners on four attempts reaching a new career-high in a single game for the senior catcher.

With the first two runners reaching base in the second, Chiaia picked up a strikeout but a passed ball allowed the runners to advance, setting up a two-run RBI single from Seth Surrett to open up the scoring for LIU. 

With the Sharks threatening again with runners on first and second and nobody out, Chiaia locked in to escape the jam for the Gaels with two consecutive fly-outs and a strikeout to keep the score at 2-0 through two innings of play. 

Chiaia's day concluded after three innings of work, as senior Michael Untracht replaced him out of the pen and despite retiring the first batter he faced, LIU tacked out three more runs off four hits extending the lead to 5-0. 

Next man out of the bullpen for the Gaels was junior Thomas O'Sullivan and in his lone inning of work Sullivan allowed a run off an RBI single but managed to escape further trouble, striking out two batters. Sullivan is now at 10 strikeouts on the season in his six appearances out of the bullpen for the Maroon & Gold.

Iona's bullpen went on to finish off the afternoon pitching three scoreless innings as sophomore Gavin Bates, freshman Joey Kasper, and Eric Gialloreto all kept the Sharks off the board. Bates has now worked three consecutive innings without allowing a run while Kasper is right behind the sophomore with two straight innings of scoreless ball.

Iona's best chance came in the 8th inning after Polinsky drew a walk followed by Carnevale and senior Luca Lotito reached base on errors, setting up a bases loaded opportunity but LIU's Kurt Lange retired Field to escape the late inning jam. 

The Gaels only managed one hit in the ninth inning before falling 6-0 as the Sharks would sweep the doubleheader and the weekend series.

UP NEXT

The Gaels will take on another opponent out of the NEC, Fairleigh Dickinson Wednesday afternoon on the road at 3:00 PM. 

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