NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The Iona College baseball team completed its 2016 campaign with a doubleheader split vs. Manhattan in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play at Dutchess Stadium. The Gaels took the opener 5-3 before falling 11-6 in the nightcap.
Sophomore RHP Joe DeRosa sparkled again for the Gaels to earn his second straight and third win of the season. He allowed three runs on four hits in six innings of work striking out two batters with no walks. DeRosa’s only blips in the contest were a pair of home runs by Manhattan RF Christian Santisteban, a two-run shot in the first and a solo homer in the sixth. His other two hits allowed were two soft singles by SS Jose Carrera and 3B Anthony Rochietti. Senior RHP Alex Fishberg pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning for his third save of the year.
Iona erased a 2-0 first inning deficit with four runs in the top of the fourth. Sophomore 3B Seth Hoagland drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly after senior RF Kyle DiVico led off with a walk and senior SS Vinny DeMaria singled to left. Following an infield hit by sophomore C Joseph Lovecchio, rookie CF Joe DeMaio singled through the right side to drive in Iona’s second run. After Manhattan went to the bullpen, junior 1B Matt Byrne drove in two runs with a base hit of his own.
Byrne added a key insurance run in the top of the six, with a one-out RBI single to score senior DH Alex Beckett from second base.
Byrne, DeMaio and senior C Carmine Palummo had two hits apiece in the win. Byrne’s three RBI led the Gaels while DeMaio recorded his first collegiate multi-hit effort.
In the night cap, Iona pounded out 16 hits in the loss. The Gaels led 5-3 after three innings, but the Jaspers scored eight times in the middle three frames to earn the win.
Sophomore CF Jon Budesa led the Gaels with a 3-for-4 effort with two RBI. DiVico, senior LF Travis Mistretta and sophomore 1B Lou Matarazzo each had two hits while driving in a run and scoring another.
Sophomore RHP Patrick Ryan took the loss, pitching the game’s first five innings.
The contest marked the final college game for seven Gael seniors including Beckett, DeMaria, DiVico, Fishberg, Mistretta, Palummo and RHP Stephan Stafford. Stafford recorded two outs in the sixth inning and Fishberg two outs in the seventh. Three others will also graduate in Saturday’s commencement ceremony, Byrne, Jake Kurz and Andrew Pucillo, but will return for the 2017 campaign.
