NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The Iona College baseball team fell to Canisius 7-1 in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference series finale at City Park. The Gaels rallied to knot the score at 1-1 in the fifth inning before six unanswered Golden Griffin runs in their final four turns at bat.
Canisius scored three batters into the contest after a leadoff triple by 2B Jake Lumley and a one-out sacrifice fly by 1B Conor Panas.
The Gaels tied the score in the fifth inning in similar fashion with senior 1B Jimmy Guiliano leading off the frame with a triple to right center field. With one out, sophomore 2B Matt Byrne hit a sacrifice fly to center field.
The Golden Griffins scored four times in the sixth inning and once in the eighth and ninth to take the game 7-1.
Guiliano, junior SS Vinny DeMaria, junior DH Zach Brown, junior C Carmine Palummo, freshman CF Jon Budesa and freshman 3B Matt Flannery each recorded hits in the game. Guiliano’s triple and Flannery’s ground-rule double in the eighth were the Gaels extra base hits in the loss.
Graduate LHP Eddie Macaluso pitched six innings allowing eight hits and four earned runs with seven strikeouts and a walk. Prior to his final inning, Macaluso allowed just a run on three hits. Junior RHP Max Bruckner tossed the seventh and eighth innings allowing an unearned run, a hit and two walks with a strikeout. Junior RHP John Daddino allowed a run on two hits in the ninth inning before striking out his final three batters faced.
Canisius was led by two hits and two RBI by RF Brett Siddall. 3B Jesse Puscheck had two hits and two runs scored while SS Anthony Massicci reached base twice via a hit.
Sophomore LHP Alex Godzak earned the win, pitching seven innings and striking out six.
The Gaels are back in action Wednesday at City Park when they host Fordham at 3:30 pm.