LITTLE FALLS, NJ — The Iona University baseball team kicked off their weekend series in Little Falls against NJIT on Friday afternoon. The long ball proved costly for the Gaels as NJIT hit home runs in back to back innings. The Maroon & Gold were able to pull within one run in the seventh, courtesy of graduate student
James Kemp hitting his first home run of the year out to left field. Ultimately, the Gaels comeback would be thwarted with a six out save from the Highlanders closer allowing no hits and only a walk.
Game Summary
The Gaels found themselves out to another early lead in the top of the third inning when junior Damian Rodriguez and freshman Sean Stephenson strung back to back hits before Kemp hit a sacrifice fly to score Rodriguez. Sophomore Jc Frias would score Stephenson on a single up the middle. The Gaels would soon load the bases, but end the inning with nothing more.
Senior Eric Gialloreto would get his third start of the year and had smooth sailing early, but ran into some trouble in the bottom of the third when NJIT would tie it up at two. The senior would be able to strand runners on the corners with a clutch strikeout and an inning ending groundout.
The next innings for the Highlanders would be where they strike. Back to back inning leading home runs saw their lead expand to 4-2 in the fifth, before adding one more run in the bottom half of the sixth inning.
Iona would not go out without a fight as Kemp smashed his first home run of the year into left field and cutting the lead to 5-4. Junior Anthony Zollo would get his second hit of the night, an infield single to the second baseman, but that would also be the last hit of the night for the Gaels. Kemp would draw a walk in the top of the ninth, followed by Frias getting hit by a pitch in the next at bat, but NJIT would close it out stranding the two.
Gialloreto gets handed his first lost of the season, while NJIT's Holden DeJong gets his second win of the year. The Gaels will look to recover in the double header tomorrow.
TEAM STATS
- Iona just won the strikeout battle, 7-6.
- Neither team attempted a stolen base.
- NJIT out hit the Gaels, 10-7
- Each team had one error.
notable nuggets
- Kemp hit his first long ball of the season, apart of his three RBI day.
- Stephenson continued his hitting streak, now at seven games.
- Zollo had his third multi hit game of the season.
Up Next
The Gaels will look bounce back from the loss with a double header against NJIT starting at noon.
