CARY, NC — The Iona College baseball team dropped two tough contests in a doubleheader with the SEC’s Missouri at the USA Baseball Complex Friday afternoon. The Gaels fell 4-3 in walk-off fashion in the opener before a 1-0 pitcher’s duel in the nightcap.
Sophomore RHP Bill Maier took the no decision in game one, tossing seven innings and 91 pitches while allowing four hits and two unearned runs.
Iona led 3-0 until through the first six and a half frames, scoring a scoring once each in the second, third and seventh innings.
Junior RF Kyle DiVico’s two-out single plated junior C Carmine Palummo from second base to open the Gaels scoring in the second inning. Palummo led off with a base hit up the middle and then stole second to get himself in scoring position.
Red shirt sophomore 2B Matt Byrne led off the third inning with his second hit of the contest. He was sacrificed to second and then advanced to third base on a groundout. With two out and the bases loaded, Byrne came home on a passed ball.
In the top of the seventh, DiVico walked to lead off the frame. After being sacrificed to second, he was pushed to third on Byrne’s third single of the contest. One batter later, junior SS Vinny DeMaria picked up an RBI base hit to give the Gaels a 3-0 advantage.
Missouri finally broke through Maier in the bottom of the seventh inning with the help of a three base error with one out. They would plate two to cut the deficit to 3-2 after seven complete.
Junior RHP John Daddino came on in the eighth and struggled with his early season control. A base hit plated the tying run in the inning from third base, after 3B Josh Lester reached on a leadoff walk and advanced to third on a wild pitch.
In the bottom of the ninth, a bases loaded walk ended the contest.
Byrne led the way with three hits. DeMaria, Palummo, DiVico and rookie CF Jon Budesa accounted for the team’s other four in the loss.
In game two, a fifth inning run was all the Tigers would need as starter Reggie McLain allowed just three hits over eight innings with 10 strikeouts.
Byrne, senior 1B Jimmy Guiliano and junior LF Travis Mistretta all went 1-for-3 in the loss.
Senior LHP Eddie Macaluso threw 93 pitches over 5.1 innings with eight strikeouts while allowing three hits, an earned run and a walk. It was his first outing for the Gaels since the 2013 season following an injury that kept him out all of last year.
Sophomore’s Vinny Martin and Andrew Camiolo pitched 2.2 innings of scoreless relief allowing just one baserunner between the two of them.
The Gaels and Tigers complete the four-game series tomorrow in a doubleheader slated to begin at 11 am. Note the game time change due to forecast of cold weather tomorrow in North Carolina.