NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The Iona University baseball team withstood a late charge by Saint Peter's on Friday afternoon, escaping a bases loaded jam to secure the 13-12 victory. The Gaels tied a season-high with 15 hits in the game and earned the team's fourth straight win.
Sophomore
Josiah Ragsdale launched a pair of home runs and drove in three runs. Graduate student
Jim Pasquale finished a base hit shy of the cycle and drove in three runs. Sophomore
Anthony Zollo and freshman
Carter Groen both registered three hits for the Maroon & Gold.
GAME SUMMARY
After a pair of one-two-three frames to kick off the game, Saint Peter's threatened with the bases loaded with two outs in the second inning. Freshman
Brendan Callanan registered a big strikeout looking to end the threat for Iona.
Pasquale got the offense started in the bottom of the frame, leading off with a first-pitch home run over the wall in right-center for the early lead. Iona capitalized on a hit by pitch and two walks to load the bases thereafter. A balk with two outs gave the Gaels the 2-0 advantage.
The Peacocks answered in the top of the third as a sacrifice fly and two-out RBI double to left center knotted the game up 2-2.
Ragsdale continued the first pitch swinging for the Gaels in the bottom of the frame, sending the offering over the right field wall. Groen followed that up with a double to left center. Pasquale continued his strong start with an RBI double down the left field line. He then advanced to third on a deep foul fly out near the wall in right field. Graduate student
Garret Gray knocked in the second run of the inning on a sacrifice fly to center field. Zollo then lined a triple into right center to continue the inning. Sophomore
Nickolas Mora gave Iona the 6-2 lead on an RBI single to third base.
The Gaels tacked on one more in the bottom of the fourth courtesy of a one-out home run to right by Ragsdale, his second long ball of the game.
Saint Peter's didn't back down, utilizing a four-run top of the fifth inning on four hits to cut the deficit to one, 7-6.
Gray and Zollo led off the bottom of the fifth with a walk and single to right field. After a strikeout, junior
Carson Cahoy stepped to the dish and roped the 2-1 pitch to center field for an RBI double. Junior
Jayson Gonzalez pushed the Iona lead to 9-6 on an RBI ground out to the pitcher.
After a quiet sixth inning, Mora kicked off the seventh with a walk. He advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and fly out to left field. Ragsdale drove him in on an RBI single to right center field. Groen followed suit with his second double of the contest down the left field line to score Ragsdale. The hits continued as Pasquale lined an RBI triple to the gap in right center to give the Gaels a 12-6 lead.
Saint Peter's punched back in the top of the eighth with a three-run inside the park home run to right field to chip into the deficit.
Iona got runners on first and third in the eighth with one out as Zollo led off the frame with a single then stole second before advancing to third on the wild pitch as Mora reached via a walk. Cahoy dropped a beauty of a bunt halfway up the first base line to score Iona's final run of the contest.
The Peacocks got a pair of runners in scoring position after a hit by pitch and walk followed by a wild pitch to start the ninth. A two-run single to left center followed to cut the deficit to two. After an Iona pitching change, a single and sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third. Another RBI single to left center made it a one run ball game as the tying run reached third. The Gaels recorded the second out on a caught stealing before a pair of walks loaded the bases. Junior
Matt Zguro secured a strikeout looking to end the contest and give Iona the 13-12 win.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- The Gaels tied the team's season-high in hits with 15 against the Peacocks. It is the third time in the last five games that Iona has recorded double digit hits.
- Ragsdale connected on his third and fourth home run in the three-hit contest. It was the 17th time this season he recorded multiple hits and his eighth multi-RBI game.
- Pasquale launched is second home run of the season and drove in a season-high three runs. He has recorded an RBI in each of the last five games and posted multiple hits in each of the last four contests.
- Groen notched his eighth multi-hit game and registered a double in the fourth straight game to put his season total to a team-leading 11 doubled on the year.
- Zollo's three hits was the fourth time this season he has reached the mark.
- Junior Eric Gialloreto recorded the win, making his team-leading 22nd appearance of the season.
- Zguro logged his first save of the season for the Maroon & Gold and the fifth of his career.
UP NEXT
Both teams square off in the second game of the weekend series tomorrow with a 1:00 p.m. first pitch at City Park.
