TEANECK, NJ - The Iona University baseball team came up short in their 5-4 loss to Fairleigh Dickinson on Wednesday afternoon at Naimoli Family Baseball Complex. The Gaels threatened in the eighth and ninth but their rally attempt was halted in both innings leading to the Knights victory.
Game Summary
The Gaels opened up the scoring powered by a solo home-run off the bat of
Will Jennings in the second inning, the first of three Iona home-runs in the ballgame. The Knights responded in the bottom half of the inning, tying the game on a sac-fly from Franklin Gomez, but
Matt Zguro got the ensuing batter to strikeout to end the inning.
Loncey Conyers, and
Andrew Gaines each threw a scoreless inning, keeping the game knotted at 1-1. Conyers worked around multiple walks before getting out of the inning while Gaines struckout the side after walking his first two batters.
The Gaels bats came alive in the fifth and for the first time this season, Iona hit back-to-back home-runs.
James Kemp launched his second homer of the season to break the tie and
Jim Pasquale continued his hot stretch, hitting his first career homer, giving Iona a 3-1 lead.
The Knights got a run back in the home half of the fifth as Justin Sierra came around to score on an error.
Clark Eder limited Fairleigh Dickinson to only a run, picking up two strikeouts and an inning ending fly-out.
Fairleigh Dickinson managed to take their first lead of the game in the sixth inning, chasing reliever
Michael Untracht for three runs. Gomez brought in the tying run on a single and a sac-bunt from JR Bozek brought in the go-ahead run. After the Knights added an insurance run on an RBI triple, Untracht salvaged the inning with a strikeout.
The Gaels found themselves in striking distance in both their final two plate appearances, trailing 5-3. In the eighth Iona loaded up the bases on a single from
Matt Shuhet and two walks but Nicholas Feretic got consecutive strikeouts to keep Iona off the board.
Down to their final three outs, Pasquale reached on an error and
Chris Mariani advanced him to second base on a fielder's choice.
Phoenix Bowman brought Iona within a run following a clutch RBI single. Unfortunately the Gaels rally halted as the Knights picked up a game ending strikeout to secure the home victory from Naimoli Family Baseball Complex. The Gaels and Knights will meet again in less than two weeks on April 4.
Up Next
The Gaels travel to Villinova for a three-game series beginning Friday, March 24 at 3pm.
Social Media
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