NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The Iona University Baseball team swept their season home-road series against FDU with a 10-5 win on Tuesday afternoon. The Gaels got production from everyone in the order with seven players producing multi hit games. The bullpen added six strikeouts over seven no run innings, while only allowing two hits. Senior
Matt Wessels led the way with three hits and a stolen bag for the Gaels offense.
While in the bullpen, junior
Tyler Lender went three innings only allowing one hit. In a game Iona fell behind 5-0, they showed no quit and were able to string together base hits and draw walks to continue to chip away before pulling ahead. This was the Gaels fifth come from behind victory of the year.
Game Summary
The Gaels fell behind early following a five run second inning from FDU. Freshman Justin Trinidad made quick work in the first inning with two strikeouts, but following an error, the Knights would capitalize with a sacrifice fly, two RBI double and two RBI single. The Maroon & Gold would answer back in the third inning with singles from Wessels, senior Anthony Febo and graduate student James Kemp to make it 5-1. The big hit came from graduate student Jayson Gonzalez blasting a two RBI double down the left field line.
Lender went from the third inning to the fifth of lock down work and allowed Iona to have the chance to take the lead in the fifth and put him in position to earn the win. In the fifth, the Gaels would drop four runs on FDU as freshman Sean Stephenson walked, Gonzalez singled and freshman Andrew Lenski reached on a fielder's choice sacrifice bunt to load the bases. Senior Carson Cahoy would drive in a run on a fielder's choice, before junior Nickolas Mora drove in a run the same way. Junior Damian Rodriguez would add the go ahead run with his two RBI double to left field and put the Gaels up 5-7.
Lender would exit for junior Nick Chiaia who would throw a lockdown inning. Iona would add one more run from a Mora single driving in Stephenson who singled earlier in the inning. Chiaia would get one out in the seventh before being replaced by junior Sean Davis. Davis would strike out two batters and end the inning stranding two on base. Back-to-back singles from Rodriguez and Febo followed by a Kemp hit by pitch set up Stephenson to drive in two RBIs on a single up the middle extending the lead to 10-5.
Davis would go out for the eighth and keep FDU off the board before senior Matt Zguro did what he does best and shutdown the Knights in the ninth inning. Lender picks up his second win of the season, while FDU's Yadlon got tagged with the loss.
TEAM STATS
- Iona lost the strikeout battle, 10-8
- The Gaels out hit the Knights 15-6
- The Maroon & Gold commit two errors
- FDU stole three bases to Iona's two
notable nuggets
- Seven out of Iona's nine starters recorded multi hit games.
- The Gaels bullpen went seven innings allowing zero runs.
- All five of FDU's runs were unearned after a dropped catch error would have ended the inning.
- Zguro now has five straight scoreless outings.
- Davis's season era is at a 1.54 through 11.2 innings.
Up Next
Iona goes back on the road for a three game series against Manhattan in Teaneck, NJ. Game one is set for a 3:00 p.m. start time at the Naimoli Complex.
