NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The Iona University baseball team defeated the Sharks 5-3 in a midweek match up. The Gaels struck first, jumping out to a 2-0 lead. A three-run fourth inning gave the Sharks the advantage, but the Gaels' bullpen shut down the LIU offense the rest of the way. The Gaels responded with runs in the sixth and eighth innings to secure the victory.
Game summary
Freshman Aiden Jovia found himself in a jam in the first inning with two outs and the bases loaded, but he worked out of it with a ground out to second base. Sophomore Malachi Costello and redshirt sophomore Sean Stephenson both reached to lead off the game with a walk and a single through the left side, respectively. Costello advanced to third on a fly out and later scored on an RBI single from senior Nickolas Mora, giving the Gaels a 1-0 lead heading into the second.
Jovia again faced trouble in the second inning with runners on first and second and one out, but he retired the next two batters to escape the jam. Stephenson led off the bottom of the third with a single to right, followed by a double to left center from junior AJ Oden that moved him to third. A sacrifice fly to center from redshirt-freshman Cole Silvia brought Stephenson home and extended the Gaels' lead.
The Sharks responded in the top of the fourth with a rally, using a wild pitch and two fielder's choices to take a 3-2 lead. The Maroon and Gold answered in the fifth when sophomore Kieran Kehoe led off with a single through the right side. Oden and Silvia each drew walks to load the bases. A fielder's choice from Mora brought Kehoe home and tied the game at three.
The bullpen held firm after the three-run fourth, allowing just one hit over the next two innings. The Gaels mounted a two-out rally in the sixth when Costello singled through the left side and Kehoe was hit by a pitch in the following at-bat. Oden then delivered a single through the left side to score Costello and give the Gaels the lead once again.
In the bottom of the eighth, senior Braize Mitchell led off with a walk and was replaced by pinch runner Mitchell Murphy. A groundout advanced Murphy to second, and he later stole third to put himself in scoring position. Costello lifted a sacrifice fly to center, bringing Murphy home and giving the Gaels a two-run cushion heading into the ninth. Freshman Danny Castillo came on in the ninth and shut the door on the Sharks' comeback hopes as the Gaels secured a 5-3 victory.
TEAM STATS
- The Gael bullpen only allowed two hits in 5.2 innings pitched.
- Gael pitchers struck out seven batters on the day.
- The Maroon & Gold offense tallied nine hits on the day.
- Our pitching staff is second in the conference in ERA with 4.36.
- The Gaels have allowed the least amount of earned runs in the conference.
notable nuggets
- Jackson Kossow recorded his first win on the season pitching two innings.
- Castillo earned his first collegiate save.
- Stephenson batted 2-2 with a walk. Oden batted 2-3.
- Silvia tallied 2 RBIs on the day.
Up Next
The Gaels return to action on Friday at home as they continue MAAC play with a series against the Marist Red Foxes. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
