ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, NEW YORK – The Marist baseball team (5-13, 1-2 MAAC) used a come from behind victory to split a doubleheader with Iona (6-20, 2-4 MAAC) on Sunday afternoon. The Red Foxes lost the first game 2-0, and took game two to extra innings to pull off a 9-8 victory.

Game One: Iona 2, Marist 0

Junior left fielder Matt Pagano (Cranston, Rhode Island) was the only base runner for the Red Foxes, hitting a leadoff single in the fifth inning. Senior catcher Mark Swertfager (Katonah, New York) threw out two base runners attempting to steal.

Iona starter Mariano Rivera had a remarkable day on the mound. He pitched a complete game allowing only one hit, while striking out 11 Marist batters. The Gaels picked up runs in the first and third inning to win the game with a final score of 2-0.

Senior left-hander Rich Vrana (Lindenhurst, New York) (0-3), who pitched 6.0 innings, picked up the loss for Marist. Vrana gave up five hits and two earned runs, while striking out six batters.

Game Two: Marist 9, Iona 8 (11 Innings)

Senior first basemen Steve Laurino (Carle Place, New York) hit a single in the 11th inning driving in the winning run for the Red Foxes. Laurino was 2-for-5 at the plate with one RBI and one run scored. Junior center fielder Graham McIntire (Concord, New Hampshire) went 3-for-5 with one run scored. Pagano was 3-for-5 with two RBI's and two runs scored. Redshirt sophomore right fielder Zachary Racusin (Mendham, New Jersey) had two RBI's and was 1-for-4.

Iona jumped out to a 2-0 lead scoring a run in the first and second inning. The Red Foxes scored their first run of the day in the second inning when Pagano singled down the right field line allowing Laurino to score who got on base on a double to right center. The Gaels picked up another run in the fourth inning and two more in the fifth.

The Red Foxes started to claw their way back into the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. Pagano scored off a sacrifice fly to centerfield by senior catcher Mark Brennan (Wallingford, Connecticut), bringing the score to 5-2. The Red Foxes scored another run in the sixth inning to pull within three runs when freshman third basemen Ryan Lynch (Portsmouth, Rhode Island) scored on a wild pitch. The Gaels regained their three run lead in the eighth inning. The bottom of the eighth saw a huge momentum swing in the Red Foxes favor. There was four hits and three runs scored by Marist. Lynch, Pagano and McIntire all scored to tie the game up.

In extra innings Iona scored two runs in the 11th to go up 8-6 with just three Marist outs remaining. Junior shortstop John Brucker (Sparta, New Jersey) reached on a double down the leftfield line and sophomore pinch hitter Greg Kocinski (Belle Mead, New Jersey) tripled to drive in the first Marist run. Lynch drove in Kocinski with a single through the left side. Kirkpatrick scored the game winning run when Laurino singled to right center giving the Red Foxes their first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference win of the season.