ANDOVER, MA — The Iona University Baseball team fell in their final road game of the season to Merrimack. While the Gaels won the series, their postseason chances now need a sweep in the final series of the season for an outside chance. Iona found an lead with an RBI single from senior
Anthony Febo in the fifth before adding a second run in the sixth inning from graduate student
James Kemp. The Gaels kept the Warriors off the board for six innings thanks to freshman
Justin Trinidad and sophomore
Brendan Callanan, but in the seventh, Callanan would allow three to score and see the Gaels 2-0 lead vanish. Senior
Matt Wessels singled in the tying run in the ninth to force extras, but the Maroon & Gold failed to score before Merrimack walked it off in the bottom of the tenth inning.
Game Summary
Both clubs were quiet offensively for the first few innings, but Iona found the break through in the fifth as sophomore Jc Frias proceeded to get plunked for an astonishing 19th time this year. He would advance on a ground out, before scoring on a single from Anthony Febo for the first run of the game. The Gaels would add to this in the sixth as freshman Sean Stephenson doubled with one out. Kemp, with two outs now in the inning, continued to hit in the clutch knocking Stephenson in with a single to left center and go up 2-0.
Pitching was a strong point for Iona all series long. Trinidad continued that with three scoreless innings allowing just one hit and a walk, while striking out two. Callanan entered in the fourth and went 1-2-3. In the next two innings he allowed just a walk and one hit. The seventh inning saw Callanan run into trouble allowing two singles and a home run, but striking out two in the inning. He was removed for junior Sean Davis, who would end the inning with a ground out. Iona, now down 3-2, failed to move the lead off base runner in the eighth inning. Davis would return for the bottom of the frame and load the bases with two outs, but not allow a run. With two outs in the top of the ninth, junior Anthony Zollow hit an infield single and give some life to the Gaels. Sophomore Nickolas Mora would pinch run for Zollo, and Febo would draw a walk to put two on. Wessels roped a single down the right field line to score Mora and tie the game. Senior Matt Zguro would work around a lead off single, striking out two in the inning.
In the tenth, Kemp would reach on a hit by pitch with two outs, but be stranded there. Zguro would return for the bottom and hit the lead off batter before allowing a home run. Zguro was given the loss and Merrimack's Yennaco the win. The Gaels now need to win all three against St. Peter's to have an outside chance of making the postseason.
TEAM STATS
- Iona won the strikeout battle, 8-4
- The Gaels were out hit by Merrimack 9-7
- The Warriors commit one error
- No stolen bases were attempted
notable nuggets
- Iona finish the season with a road record of 10-23 and 6-9 in road conference games.
- In away series, the Gaels went 4-4-1.
- Frias, a program legend for hit by pitches, continues to add to his record now at 19.
- Today's game saw the Iona bullpen give up their first runs of the series.
- A one out single for Merrimack broke Iona's ten straight no hit innings.
Up Next
Iona return home for the final series of the season against St. Peter's and must win out to have a potential chance at a postseason appearance. Thursday's game is set for 3:00 p.m. Note Friday's game is set for 5:00 p.m. due to Commencement in the morning.
