BROOKLYN, N.Y.— The LIU Brooklyn baseball team powered past Iona College, 16-8 at LIU Field on Tuesday afternoon. The Blackbirds used season-high 13 hits including a grand slam and three-run home run to defeat the Gaels in a non-conference matchup.
LIU received multi-hit games from seniors
Andrew Smith and
Gregory Vaughn Jr. along with junior
Rob Griswold. Smith led the way with a season-high three hits including his second triple of the season. Vaughn added a three-run home run to go along with six runs batted in. Sophomore
Colin Adams knocked home the first grand slam for LIU.
The Blackbirds jumped on the scoreboard early with two runs in the first inning on a Vaughn sacrifice fly and senior
Alex Briggs RBI single. LIU pushed the lead ahead in the second inning as Vaughn smashed a bomb over the left field wall for his fourth home run of the season for the 4-0 lead.
Briggs added his second RBI of the day in the third on a sacrifice fly for the Blackbirds. Griswold added a two-out RBI double in the fifth inning to push the Blackbirds seventh run across the plate.
LIU got a quality start out of sophomore
Ryan Neuweiler as he pitched a scoreless six innings against the Gaels. The right-hander surrendered just four hits while fanning six on the day.
Vaughn capped his monster day at the plate in the sixth inning with a two-out single to right field for his career-high six runs batted in. LIU continued to put runs on the board in the seventh as senior
Luiny Monegro recorded a RBI single and senior
Edward Modica Jr. added a RBI fielder's choice to push the lead to 11-0.
The Gaels offense finally got around in the top of the eighth inning with six runs on five hits including a pair of home runs to bring the score to 11-6,
LIU answered right back with the long ball in the next half inning as Adams launched a 1-2 pitch to left center field for the grand slam and his second home run of the season to give LIU the 16-6 advantage. Iona added two runs in the ninth on another home run to cap the scoring at 16-8.
UP NEXT
The Blackbirds face off against another MAAC opponent with a trip to Rider on Wednesday, March 20 at 3:00 p.m.