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Iona University Athletics

Carter Groen Swing vs. HC
Stockton Photo Inc.
14
Iona ION 4-15, 0-1 MAAC
15
Winner Niagara NIA 13-7, 1-0 MAAC
Iona ION
4-15, 0-1 MAAC
14
Final
15
Niagara NIA
13-7, 1-0 MAAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Iona ION 0 2 0 3 0 3 2 0 4 14 14 4
Niagara NIA 1 4 1 6 1 1 0 0 1 15 17 1

W: Reynolds, Liam (3-0) L: Zguro, Matt (2-2)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Brian Duane / Assistant AD / Athletic Communications

Iona Baseball Drops Slugfest to Niagara in MAAC Opener

LEWISTON, NY — The Iona University baseball team dropped the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opener to Niagara, 15-14 on a walk-off Saturday afternoon. The Gaels and Purple Eagles halted play in the second inning on Friday as a snowstorm led to a 26-hour delay but that didn't stop both teams combining for 31 hits at Bobo Field.
 
The Maroon & Gold posted season-high 14 runs scored and 14 hits in the conference opener. Freshman Carter Groen drove in a career-high five runs which included a game-tying grand slam in the ninth inning. Sophomore Josiah Ragsdale led the Gaels with four hits. Graduate student Jim Pasquale, sophomore Anthony Zollo and freshman Jc Frias all recorded multiple hits.

GAME SUMMARY

Niagara led off Friday with a one-out RBI walk with the bases loaded in the first inning as the snow conditions started to pass through.
 
The Gaels punched back in the top of the second as Groen scored on a wild pitch to tie things up. Iona would take the lead on a double down the left field line by Pasquale for the 2-1 lead.

Niagara took back the lead in the bottom half of the frame on a two-run single up the middle. The Purple Eagles would get a runner on second with one out before play was stopped at 12:54 p.m. on Friday afternoon. Play resumed at 3 p.m. Saturday and the momentum continued for the home team, scoring two more runs to take a 5-2 lead.
 
The Purple Eagles tacked on another run in the third inning on an RBI groundout to first.
 
Pasquale led off the fourth inning with a ground rule double. Frias and junior Carson Cahoy were both hit by a pitch to load the bases for the Gaels. Ragsdale stepped to the plate and lined a hard RBI single to first base with one out for the first run of the inning. Junior Jayson Gonzalez was plunked by the 0-1 offering for the RBI and second Iona run. Groen worked six-pitch RBI walk to cut the deficit to one, 6-5. Niagara escaped the inning with the bases loaded on a strikeout.
 
The Purple Eagles created separation in the bottom of the inning utilizing six hits and an Iona error to score six runs and take a 12-5 lead. The lead extended for the home team an RBI groundout in the fifth inning.
 
The Gaels loaded the bases to start the sixth on a walk by Zollo, a single by Ragsdale and a four-pitch walk to Gonzalez. Senior James Kemp scored a pair of runs on a double down the right field line. Graduate student Garret Gray added the third run of the inning on an RBI groundout to second to cut the deficit down to five.
Niagara scrapped one run back in the bottom of the sixth with a two-out ground rule double.
 
Frias led off the seventh inning with his first career home run over the center field wall. Cahoy then doubled and came around to score on an RBI single from Zollo as the Gaels cut into the deficit.
 
Scoring slowed till the top of the ninth inning as Iona looked for a late rally. Down to the final out, Ragsdale kicked things off with a double down the left field line. Back-to-back walks to Gonzalez and Kemp loaded up the bases for Groen. He connected on the 1-0 offering and launched a grand slam down the left field line to tie the game up at 14-14.
 
Niagara got a leadoff single to start the bottom of the ninth and utilized small ball to advance the winning run all the way to third. A two-out single to left field sealed the walk-off 15-14 victory for the Purple Eagles in the opener.

NOTABLE NUGGETS

  • Ragsdale registered the first four-hit game of his career. He has recorded multiple hits in 12 games this season.
  • Groen drove in a career-high five runs in the opener. His ninth inning grand slam was his second home run of the season.
  • Pasquale posted his third straight multi-hit game and finished the day with two doubles.
  • The league opener was Zollo's sixth multi-hit showing out of the leadoff spot for the Gaels.
  • Frias recorded his first career multi-hit game and his first career home run.
  • Junior Carl Kuentzel logged a team-high four innings out of the bullpen for Iona, surrendering just two runs.

UP NEXT

The Gaels scheduled contest Saturday was pushed back a day so the series against the Purple Eagles will wrap up tomorrow at Bobo Field with a doubleheader beginning at noon.
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