May 22, 2005
Box Score
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y.-The Marist baseball team captured the MAAC regular season title Sunday afternoon with a 6-2 win over Iona at Salesian Field. The Gaels finished the season at 11-38 (8-18 MAAC), while Marist improved to 30-19 (22-5 MAAC). Marist will face fourth-seeded Niagara (23-26 overall, 16-9 MAAC) in the 7 p.m. game Thursday on the first day of the MAAC Tournament, which will be held at Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill, N.Y. Second-seeded Siena (28-21 overall, 19-5 MAAC) will face third-seeded Manhattan (27-19 overall, 15-8 MAAC) in the 3 p.m. game on Thursday.
Marist used a pair of three-run innings in the second and eighth to score their six runs. Junior shortstop Matt Callahan led the Iona offense, picking up three hits in four at-bats, scoring once and recording one RBI. Marist second baseman Joe Sargent had three hits on the afternoon, and was one of four Red Foxes to notch a multi-hit game.
Marist looked to strike early, loading the bases with one out in the first inning. Iona starter Chris Lopez was able to escape unscathed after picking a strikeout and a groundout to end the inning. Lopez was solid in his final outing in Maroon & Gold, going 7.2 innings, scattering nine hits and allowing only one earned run.
The Gaels had chances early, but stranded runners on second and third in the first and left another runner on in the second.
Sargent knocked his first hit of the day to right field, putting runners on second and third. A sacrifice fly put the visitors ahead 1-0, and two batters later a sac bunt pushed the Marist lead to two. Keith Brachold singled in the final run of the inning, pushing the score to 3-0.
Iona would rally in the six and seventh innings, adding solo runs to make the score 3-2. Callahan singled to open the sixth, and scored the Gaels first run off a sacrifice fly to right by Nick Conte. Ryan Bucci got things started in the seventh, singling to right center to lead off the inning. Bucci would come around to score on Callahan's third hit of the day to cut the Marist lead to one.
Three more Marist runs in the eighth inning chased Lopez and provided Marist with the insurance they would need.
Marist starter Jonathan Smith (6-1) picked up the win, while Lopez (1-13) took the loss for Iona.
Bucci and catcher Matt Bruno each added a pair of hits in the duo's final appearance in an Iona uniform.
