NEW ROCHELLE, NY – Iona College baseball senior 1B Jimmy Guiliano’s triple with one out in the ninth inning led the Maroon & Gold to a dramatic 7-6 walk off win over Monmouth in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action at City Park. The Gaels came back from down two runs in the eighth inning to win their third straight MAAC series and even their league mark to 6-6 after four weekends.
Iona opened the scoring in the game with three runs in the fourth and another in the fifth. Three straight one-out singles by junior DH Carmine Palummo, sophomore C Alex Beckett and freshman 3B Seth Hoagland led to the first run of the contest in the fourth. After a passed ball put runners on second and third, junior SS Vinny DeMaria picked up an RBI on a groundout. Rookie 3B Matt Flannery’s clutch two-out single the other way scored his classmate Hoagland to give the home team a 3-0 advantage.
The Gaels tacked on a fourth run in their next at bat. With two out, junior LF Travis Mistretta drew a walk on a 3-2 count. Beckett followed with a double to left field for the RBI and was cut down trying to go to third on the throw.
Iona graduate LHP Eddie Macaluso kept Monmouth off the board through the first six innings, scattering six hits with four strikeouts before the seventh. He got double play balls to end the first and fifth innings to erase a pair of Monmouth threats. His fifth inning escape act stopped a bases loaded, one-out situation after turning a come backer off the bat of 3B Shaine Hughes in two a 1-6-3 double play.
Monmouth rallied in the seventh, scoring five runs in the frame for the second straight contest to take a 5-4 lead. Macaluso was chased after the first three batters reached without a hit on two walks an a Gael error. The three runners he left for sophomore LHP Andrew Camiolo came around to score plus two more as Iona faced its first deficit of the contest.
The Hawks added an insurance run in the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly by Hughes.
Facing the Monmouth bullpen for the first time in the contest, Mistretta and Beckett drew walks from RHP Matt Litrell to lead off the bottom of the eighth. After being sacrificed to second by Palummo, Litrell was relieved in favor of LHP Frank Trimarco. Hoagland picked up an RBI on a ground out for the first run. Another clutch two-out hit for the Gaels off the bat of DeMaria knotted the score at 6-6 heading into the ninth.
Iona’s closer, junior RHP John Daddino, got a chance at redemption in the final frame after a tough outing Saturday. After a leadoff ground out by RF Kyle Perry, DH Ryan Bailey reached on an error. Daddino struck out the next batter, LF Dan Shea on a nasty breaking ball on a 2-2 count. He then hit 1B Dan Moreno to put runners on first and second before blowing a 93-mph fastball by SS Robbie Alessandrine to record the final out.
An inauspicious start to the bottom of the ninth began with a tap out to shortstop by rookie CF Jon Budesa. Sophomore 2B Matt Byrne got things started beating out his second infield hit of the game. Guiliano smashed the second pitch he saw into the right centerfield gap for the game winner. It was his second walk-off RBI of his career at City Park following a sac fly to win a game over NYIT last season.
Byrne’s two hits continued his torrid stretch at the plate, extending his hitting streak to nine games and his multi-hit effort streak to four. He has seen his batting average rise from a season low .250 prior to the streak back up to .309. Guiliano’s game winner extended his hitting streak to eight straight contests. Beckett was 2-for-2 with two walks and Flannery also had two hits for the Maroon & Gold in the win.
Macaluso took the no decision as Daddino earned the win in relief. Monmouth starter Anthony Ciavarella allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks with five strikeouts, also in a no decision effort. Trimarco dropped his fourth game of the season for the Hawks.
The Gaels tune up for its next MAAC weekend series with a non-conference midweek tilt Tuesday at Fordham in the Bronx. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 pm at Houlihan Park. Iona hosts Saint Peter’s for three games at City Park next Saturday (Apr. 18) and Sunday (Apr. 19).