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Iona University Athletics

Coppin Game 1
Coppin State Athletics
10
Iona IONBASE 0-1
11
Winner Coppin State CSU 1-0
Iona IONBASE
0-1
10
Final
11
Coppin State CSU
1-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 R H E
Iona IONBASE 2 4 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 10 14 2
Coppin State CSU 0 3 0 0 3 0 0 4 0 0 1 11 10 2

W: RITZ,Justin (1-0) L: Kuentzel, Carl (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Danny Smith / Athletic Communications Assistant

Iona Baseball Fall to Coppin State in Extras, 11-10

HANOVER, MD — The Iona University Baseball Team started off their 2025 Season with an 11-10 extra innings defeat against Coppin State, at Joe Cannon Stadium. Three hit games from junior Damian Rodriguez and sophomore Sean Stephenson led the way in the hitting department for the Gaels, while graduate student Jayson Gonzalez led with three RBIs.

The Gaels broke out to an early 6-0 after two innings, but this lead would only last until the fifth inning when the Eagles would tie it at six apiece. A strong three-run seventh pushed the Gaels back in front then would add one more in the eighth, but would get erased in the bottom half of the inning with a game tying grand slam.

Finally in extras, the Gaels would be defeated in the eleventh inning on a walk off single.

Game SUMMARY

The Gaels started strong with Rodriguez getting on with a single up the middle, then immediately stole second. He would advance to third on a wild pitch before scoring off a fielder's choice off the bat of Gonzalez. Graduate student James Kemp would then reach on an error scoring the second run.

After a quick bottom of the first from sophomore Brendan Callanan, the Maroon & Gold would keep the pressure on. A hit by pitch and back-to-back singles set up scores off a wild pitch and sacrifice fly from Gonzalez. Kemp would drive in another run on a single to left field then sophomore Jc Frias would send a drive down the line for an RBI double and give the Gaels a 6-0 lead heading into the bottom of the second.

After Coppin State got three runs back in the bottom of the second, a few quiet innings went by until they tied the game with a three-run bottom of the fifth.

Junior southpaw Sean Davis replaced Callanan after four plus innings and pitched three innings and only gave up one run.

The Gaels bats would once again wake up in the top of seventh with a single, RBI double and two walks, they would cash in two more runs on a hit by pitch and wild pitch to retake their lead up 9-3.

In the eighth inning, Frias got on base with a one out double then advanced to third on a single from junior Anthony Zollo. Frias would ultimately score on a wild pitch to push the lead to 10-6.

In the bottom half of the eighth, after three walks, Coppin State would tie on a Gavin Grutzmacher grand slam to left field. Senior Matt Zguro was able to finish out the inning then threw a shutdown ninth to force extras.

In extra innings, the Gaels went scoreless over two innings and Coppin State would capitalize in the eleventh with a walk off single from Derek Blackmore.

Justin Ritz of Coppin State gets awarded the win, while senior Carl Kuentzel is handed the loss.
 

TEAM STATS

  • The Gaels out hit the Eagles 14-10, but were tied 3-3 on extra base hits.
  • Iona won the strikeout battle 13-10.
  • The Maroon & Gold were a perfect 3-3 on stolen bases.
  • Both teams commit two errors.

notable nuggets

  • Five Gaels had multi-hit games.
  • Rodriguez went a perfect 2-2 on steal attempts.
  • Davis in his first game since 2023 pitched three innings, striking out three and allowing just one run.

Up Next

The Gaels will prepare to bounce back for game two of this three game series against Coppin State starting at 1 p.m. tomorrow February 15.
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