BUFFALO, NY — The Iona University Baseball team fell to Canisius in the series finale 8-7. Graduate student
James Kemp and freshman
Sean Stephenson led the charge with three RBIs apiece, but it was not enough as Canisius was able to pull away late with a big sixth inning. Starter, sophomore
Brendan Callanan went three plus innings allowing four runs, before four more Gael pitchers would finish off the game.
Game Summary
The Gaels dropped a three run inning in the third inning before Canisius would match them with three of them own in the same inning. A hit by pitch followed by three walks gave the Gaels a 1-0 lead. Kemp would single scoring another, before Stephenson would score one more on a fielders choice to go up 3-0. Canisius would score their first two runs on a home run and get their third on an RBI double to tie it up. In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Golden Griffins would go up 4-3 following another walk and RBI double.
Stephenson would homer in the top of the fifth inning to give the Gaels back the lead at 5-4 after sophomore Jordan Overton reached on a double to left field. Canisius would retake the lead in the sixth inning off of senior Carl Kuentzel. Junior Nick Chiaia would take his spot and allow one more runner in before the inning ends. Sophomore Jc Frias would lead off the seventh with a walk before Kemp would homer him in and the score would stay at 8-7 for the rest of the way.
Kuentzel was given the loss, his fifth of the year and Canisius's Abbott got the win while LoPinto got the save.
TEAM STATS
- Iona lost on strikeouts, 11-9
- Canisius out hit Iona 12-6
- Iona commit the lone error
- The Golden Griffins stole the only two bags of the game
notable nuggets
- Kuentzel reached 100 career strikeouts.
- Zollo with one more hit is now two hits away from 150.
Up Next
Iona face LIU on Wednesday the 23rd at 3:00 p.m. in Brookville, NY.
