RADFORD, VA - The Iona University Baseball team began the '23 season with an opening day victory over Radford at Sherman Carter Memorial Stadium on Friday afternoon. With two-outs in the seventh,
Jake Field delivered the go-ahead bases clearing RBI double to give Iona a 3-0 lead. Making his collegiate debut,
Michael Lorenzetti earned the win in relief, and
Matt Zguro closed out the game to earn the save for the Gaels.
Game Summary
Making his debut with the Gaels,
Teo Torrado began his afternoon tossing four scoreless innings on the mound. Torrado earned his first strikeout in the opening inning and in the second, managed to work around a one out double.
After singling in the first, Field followed up in his next plate appearance, with his second hit and following a walk drawn by
Jordan Overton, the Gaels were threatening. But a pickoff and two strikeouts from Highlanders pitcher Dylan Howard, helped Radford escape the jam, keeping the game scoreless.
Torrado continued to deal, striking out all three batters in the third and in his last inning of work, facing runners on second and third, the grad-transfer recorded a ground-out and line-out to keep the Highlanders off the board.
Lorenzetti relieved Torrado and in his collegiate debut, Lorenzetti worked three scoreless innings, striking out five batters while only allowing two hits.
Still scoreless entering the seventh,
Josiah Ragsdale recorded his first career hit and
Nick Forney followed up with an infield single, loading up the bases for Field. The senior delivered, launching a clutch bases-clearing double to break the tie, giving the Gaels a 3-0 lead.
Looking to rally, Radford got on the board following an RBI single from Avery Spencer, pulling the home team within two runs. With the tying run on second and still nobody retired, Gialloreto buckled down recording two line-outs and an inning strikeout to keep Iona in front.
Radford managed to get the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth, but Zguro finished the job on consecutive strikeouts and a game-ending groundout to complete Iona's opening day victory on the road.
Notable Nuggets
- Iona picked up its first win on opening day since the 2017 season, where they defeated North Carolina Central, 3-1.
- Coming off a season where Field had 18 games of multiple-hits; the fifth-year starter began the '23 campaign going 3-4 at the plate.
- Torrado shined on the mound in four innings, finishing with four K's while allowing no runs
- Jayson Gonzalez registered his first hit as a Gael, reaching on a single in the third.
- The Gaels other hits came from Nick Forney and Phoenix Bowman
Up Next
The Gaels return to action tomorrow after 4pm for game two of the series against Radford.
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