VILLANOVA, PA - The Iona University Baseball team finished up the week with a clean sweep over Villanova on Sunday afternoon to clinch the series victory. Chris Mariani delivered the go-ahead RBI to give Iona the 4-3 victory in game one and a team effort at the plate with seven different Gaels driving in a run led to the 8-2 win in the series finale at Villanova ballpark.

GAME ONE: IONA 4, VILLANOVA 3

The Gaels offense came alive in the third inning with Josiah Ragsdale breaking the tie on an RBI triple scoring Jayson Gonzalez all the way from first. Jake Field extended Iona's lead to 2-0, after reaching base on an error, allowing Ragsdale to score on the play.

Nick Chiaia and Carl Kuentzel kept Iona's lead intact, combining for five innings on the mound while only allowing a run. Chiaia got the start and finished with two strikeouts while Kuentzel came in relief and allowed only a run in the sixth inning but quickly recovered, picking up an inning ending strikeout.

After Villanova tied the game on a home-run in the seventh, Iona responded in the ensuing inning. With Gonazlez on third and two-outs, Field knocked in his second RBI of the game, hitting an RBI single to put Iona right back in front. 

Trailing 3-2 entering the home half of the inning, Villanova managed to rally. Peter Giombetti brought in the tying run on a fielder's choice but Alex Hunt, who relieved Matt Zguro, got the final out of the inning, stranding the go-ahead run at second base.

With an automatic runner being placed on second, Jim Pasquale did his job, advancing Nickolas Mora to third base on a ground-out. Mariani followed up scoring Mora on sac-fly to give Iona the lead for good. Staying in the game, Hunt closed it out for the Gaels to secure the 4-3 victory in game one of the doubleheader. 

GAME TWO: IONA 8, VILLANOVA 2

Iona scored four runs in the first three innings and wouldn't look back. Pasquale drove in Anthony Zollo on a first inning sac-fly and in the second, Matt Wessels recorded his first RBI of the season, to put the Gaels in front 2-0. 

Continuing the offensive outburst, Luca Lotito doubled to left field to bring in Iona's third run and a few batters later Anthony Febo scored Lotito on an RBI sac-fly, extending Iona's lead to 4-0. 

Leading 4-2 in the fourth, Field lined a triple to right and ended up scoring on the play after an error for Iona's fifth run of the game. Zollo joined the productivity in the fifth, lining an RBI single down the right field line, scoring Nick Forney. 

The Gaels final two runs came off the bat of Jake Field, knocking in his 15th RBI of the season on a double and James Kemp became the seventh Iona player to drive in a run with a two-out RBI single.

Michael Untracht sealed the victory for Iona, pitching a scoreless seventh inning to finish off the doubleheader sweep. With today's sweep, Iona clinched their first series victory of the 2023 season. 

UP NEXT

Before MAAC play begins next weekend, Iona aims to make it three straight wins on Tuesday, March 28 at Stony Brook. 

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