PHILADELPHIA, PA - The Iona University Baseball team concluded their weekend series at Smithson Field, losing both contests to Saint Joseph's on Saturday afternoon. Despite multiple RBI's from
Will Jennings including a home-run, the Gaels dropped game one 16-6, and couldn't get a run across in game two, losing 13-0 in the series finale.
GAME ONE: SJU 16, IONA 6
Getting the start for the Gaels,
Nick Chiaia began his outing throwing three scoreless innings. Chiaia used a double-play to help him escape the first and got a strikeout in each the second and third inning to keep the Hawks off the board.
James Kemp and
Phoenix Bowman both reached base on walks setting up an RBI opportunity for Jennings. The fifth year delivered, breaking the scoreless game with a single to right field, scoring Kemp to give Iona a 1-0 lead.
The Hawks quickly responded and finally got to Chiaia, scoring five runs on four hits to take a 5-1 lead. Saint Joseph's got consecutive RBI doubles from Max Hitman and Brett Callahan in the inning but two batters later
Carl Kuentzel came in relief and got a fly-out to end the inning.
The Gaels rallied in the sixth, with
Jim Pasquale and Jennings reaching base on singles to set Iona up. After
Josiah Ragsdale walked to load the bases,
Jayson Gonzalez brought all three runners in to score with a bases clearing double to right field, bringing Iona within a run.
With the score still 5-4 entering the home half of the seventh, the Hawks put together their best inning, scoring seven runs and creating separation from the Gaels. Ryan Cesarini and Callahan each homered in the inning, accounting for six of the seven runs scored in the inning.
Iona got two runs back in the eighth, powered by a solo homer from Jennings, his first of the '23 season and an RBI-double from Gonzalez.
The Hawks tallied on two more runs in their last plate appearances as Saint Joseph's took game one of the doubleheader, 16-6.
GAME TWO: SJU 13, IONA 0
The Hawks bats picked up where they left off in game one, scoring six runs in the opening inning off Gaels starter
Michael Untracht. The Hawks had four different players drive in a run but Untracht did manage to salvage the inning with a fielder's choice.
The Gaels had a scoring opportunity in the second after Febo reached base on a single and Ragsdale reached on a walk but Hawks starter Domenic Picone got an inning-ending strikeout. In the bottom half of the frame Saint Joseph's tacked on to their lead scoring three runs on an RBI single and triple.
The Hawks added multiple runs in the fourth and fifth inning to open up a 13-0 lead which went on to be the final score as the Hawks swept the doubleheader from the Gaels.
Up Next
The Gaels travel to Teaneck, New Jersey for a midweek showdown against NEC foe, Fairleigh Dickinson.
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