HEMPSTEAD, NY - The Iona College baseball program fell in a heartbreaker on the road to Hofstra 6-4, at University Field. With the game tied entering the ninth,
Luca Lotito launched a home-run to put the Gaels back in front but Hofstra answered with a walk-off three-run homer to take the non-conference matchup.
GAME SUMMARY
Vicente Mendoza got the start for the Gaels and quickly worked through the first two innings, retiring the side in both frames adding two strikeouts in the process. Mendoza worked out of a base-loaded jam in the third, picking up an inning ending line out to keep Hofstra off the board through three innings of play.
The Gaels got on the board first with
Chris Mariani blasting a two-run homer to center field in the fourth inning. The homer marked the first of Mariani's career and scored
Jake Field on the play who led off with a double.
Hofstra quickly got a run back in the home half of the inning on an RBI single, but the Gaels defense helped
Thomas O'Sullivan get out of the inning, turning a 6-4-3 double play. O'Sullivan pitched a scoreless frame in the fifth and once again got help from his infield on a 4-6-3 double play to evaporate a leadoff single.
Mariani started the Gaels offense up in the sixth, drawing a leadoff walk. The next batter,
Jim Kemp on a 3-0 pitch, doubled down the left field line to score Mariani for his ninth RBI of the season and extending Iona's lead to 3-1.
Michael Untracht was next out of the bullpen for the Gaels and worked two scoreless innings to keep Iona's 3-1 lead intact through seven innings. After a leadoff single in the seventh, for the third time of the afternoon Iona's defense turned a double play, this time 4-6-3.
Hofstra rallied in the eighth inning, using a game-tying home-run from Brian Morrell. Lotito quickly put the Gaels back in the lead, hitting his second home run of the season and giving Iona a lead in the ninth.
However, after the first two batters reached base in the bottom of the ninth,
Jake Liberatore ended the game with a walk-off homer to give Hofstra the 6-4 home victory on Tuesday afternoon.
UP NEXT
The Gaels will welcome in Siena for a three-game series at City Park beginning on Friday, May 6th. Friday's game is scheduled for 6:00 PM, with the senior day ceremony to take place prior to the game.
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, Instagram and YouTube (Email Updates)
