DURHAM, NC — The Iona College baseball team split two games to complete action at the Blue Devil Baseball Classic at Duke’s Jack Coombs Field. The Gaels took out Delaware State 9-2 in their first contest before its second 1-0 loss or the season to a power five conference opponent in the host Blue Devils.
Sophomore RF Kyle DiVico had a career effort with four hits in five at bats with six RBI and two runs scored. He earned an RBI single in the first, a two run double in the fifth and a three-run home run in the eighth to lead the Gaels. DiVico hit his first collegiate home run with the blast to right field.
Junior C Carmine Palummo had three hits, scored three times and drove in two more in the win. Junior LF Travis Mistretta had a hit and an RBI while senior 1B Jimmy Guiliano scored twice for the Gaels.
Junior RHP Mariano Rivera earned his first win of the season for the Maroon & Gold, tossing 6.2 innings and 105 pitches, allowing one run on seven hits with seven strikeouts and no walks. Junior Max Bruckner pitched 1.1 innings of scoreless relief before handing the ball over to freshman Joe DeRosa for the final inning of work.
The Gaels took a 2-0 first inning lead and never trailed in the 9-2 win over the Hornets.
In game two, a good old fashioned pitcher’s duel was taken 1-0 by Duke. A first inning run by the Blue Devils was the difference in the game.
Senior LHP Eddie Macaluso tossed seven strong innings allowing three hits and had nine strikeouts with no walks in the hard luck loss. He allowed back-to-back two-out doubles in the opening frame before retiring 19 of his last 20 batters.
Duke’s starter Bailey Clark also allowed three hits but did not allow a run with 11 strikeouts. Closer Kenny Koplove allowed Guiliano on base in the ninth with two out but struck out the side to end the contest.
Guiliano reached base three times with two hits in the contest. Sophomore C Alex Beckett recorded the Maroon & Gold’s third hit.
Iona is back in action next weekend at a tournament hosted by Norfolk State University.