March 21, 2009

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POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - Freshman shortstop Jon Schwind (Hilton, N.Y.) homered and drove in four runs as the Marist baseball team cruised to a 7-1 win over Iona in the first game of a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference doubleheader on Saturday at McCann Baseball Field.

Senior left-hander Josh Rickards (Glenolden, Pa.) started and went the first six innings, earning the victory to improve to 3-1 on the season. He allowed just one run, three walks and five hits while striking out four. Rickards was relieved by freshman right-hander Jake Rifkin (West Deptford, N.J.) who pitched three scoreless innings to earn his first collegiate save.

After Iona started the scoring with a run in the top of the first, the Red Foxes answered with three in their half of the third. Sophomore center fielder Michael Gallic (Tolland, Conn.) led off the inning with a double, and then Schwind followed with his first collegiate home run, a two-run shot to left field which gave the Red Foxes the lead for good. Marist tacked on one more in the frame when sophomore third baseman Ricky Pacione (Newburgh, N.Y.) singled to drive home freshman designated hitter George Agostini (Rehoboth, Mass.), who had doubled.

The Red Foxes added a run in the sixth when Schwind reached on a fielder's choice to drive in a run, bumping their lead to 4-1. Marist then added three runs in the eighth on an RBI double by Schwind and a two-run single by Agostini.

The win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Red Foxes, who improved to 7-8. Iona fell to 0-15.