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Box Score 2 JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Chris Hugg (Ironia, N.J./Randolph) and Jim Smith (Hatfield, Pa./North Penn) each knocked in four runs to power Saint Peter's to an 11-3 victory against Iona in the opening game of a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) three-game baseball series on Saturday. The Gaels came back to win the second game on the afternoon, 16-9.
Hugg helped put the opener away with three RBIs in the seventh and eighth while also knocking in the first run of the afternoon. Smith had the big blow after smacking a grand slam to break a 2-all standstill in the third and the Peacocks never looked back. The duo had the identical line score in the opener after going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBIs. Hugg added two hits, two runs scored and three RBIs in the second game to finish the twinbill with four RBIs.
Rob Moore (Ridge, N.Y./Longwood) added four hits, five runs scored and three RBIs in the two games for Saint Peter's (11-22, 6-11 MAAC) while Vinny Maietta (Franklin Square, N.Y./St. Mary's) posted four hits, two RBIs and a run scored on the day.
Zach Hopf (Woodbridge, N.J./Woodbridge) allowed three runs on seven hits with 10 strikeouts in eight innings of work in the opener. The senior is 2-1 at Jaroschak Field this season and has recorded 23 strikeouts in his last two games in Jersey City.
Joe Smith fueled Iona (9-26, 6-11 MAAC) in the second game, going 5-for-5 with four runs scored and two RBIs. Bobb Vitulano had four hits, three RBIs and two runs scored and Jimmy Guliiano added two hits, three RBIs and two runs scored.
In the opener, the Peacocks scored the first two runs and then the Gaels tied the game only to see Saint Peter's score nine of the final 10 runs to come away with the victory.
After Iona tied the game in the top of the third inning, the Peacocks retook the lead for good with four runs in the bottom of the inning. Moore and Hugg opened the inning with walks before Nick Henriquez (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) loaded the bases after he hit a pop up that was lost in the sun by the third baseman that landed in fair territory in the infield. Smith did not wait long and took the first offering that he saw over the left field fence for a grand slam and for a 6-2 advantage.
The Gaels cut the margin in half with a Vinny DeMaria RBI single up the middle in the seventh.
Saint Peter's answered right back with three runs in the bottom of the frame to increase its lead to 9-3. Kyle Grimes (Iselin, N.Y./John F. Kennedy Memorial) walked and moved to third on Moore's double to right before both runners scored on Hugg's rocket shot double down the third base line. Maietta then doubled home Hugg to give the Peacocks a six-run lead.
In the eighth, Saint Peter's sealed the win with two runs. Jon Kristoffersen (Jefferson, N.J./Jefferson Township) reached on an infield single and then came around to score all the way from first on Grimes' RBI double to right center. Hugg then capped his four-RBI contest with a sacrifice fly to left to set the final score at 11-3.
The Peacocks jumped out to an early 2-0 lead after scoring a run in each of the first and the second. Moore walked in the first and scored on Hugg's double to deep center for a 1-0 edge after one inning. Smith opened the second with a double through the left side and touched home on Zach Rawson's (Ashburn, Va./Broad Run) single to right center for a two-run lead.
Iona scored twice in the third to tie the game at 2. The Gaels scored the first run on a throwing error before Alex Beckett tied the game on a run-scoring single. Saint Peter's then scored nine of the final 10 runs to come away with the opening-game victory.
In the second game, Iona scored seven times in the second and held off a late Peacocks charge to earn the doubleheader split with a 16-9 win.
Trailing 2-0 in the second, Joe Smith put the Gaels on the board with an RBI single through the right side. With the bases loaded, Vitulano walked to tie the game at 2 before Joe Torres gave Iona the lead for good on a sacrifice fly. Guliliano cleared the bases with a three-run triple to right center and Beckett added a sacrifice fly to right for a 7-2 advantage.
DeMaria increased the margin to six runs with an RBI single up the middle in the third before Iona added three runs in the fourth. Tyler Bruno hit a sacrifice fly and two more runs scored on a throwing error for an 11-2 margin.
The Gaels continued to add to its lead in the fifth with four runs thanks to RBI singles by Travis Mistretta, Smith, Bruno and Vitulano for a 15-2 advantage.
Saint Peter's put a seven spot in the sixth to trim the margin to 15-9. Moore started the rally with a double to center and scored on Hugg's RBI single up the middle. After Michael Wulff (Madison, N.J./Madison) followed with a single to left field, Henriquez plated Hugg on a single to left and Maietta scored Wulff on an RBI single to left. With two outs, Kristoffersen and Grimes both walked to force home Henriquez before Moore hit an excuse me double down the left field line to clear the bases for a three-run double and cut the margin to 15-9.
Vitulano doubled home a run in the seventh to set the final score to 16-9.
Saint Peter's used the momentum from the first game to open the nightcap fast, but also might have ran itself out of a big inning.
Kristoffersen opened the first with a single through the left side before Grimes walked. The duo moved up on a wild pitch, but Kristoffersen was thrown out at the plate trying to go from second to home on the play. Grimes was then thrown out trying to steal third. Moore then walked and touched home on Hugg's two-run homer to left for a 2-0 lead.
Iona then scored the next 15 runs and never looked back to split the doubleheader and set up the rubber game on Sunday.
Mark Wilson (Clark, N.J./Arthur L. Johnson) took the loss in the nightcap.
Kristoffersen is one hit shy of tying the program record for hits in a single season. The sophomore has 63 hits after Saturday to sit in third place behind Chris Pini (63, 1994) and Preston Aldridge (64, 2011).
The two teams complete the three-game series on Sunday at 1 p.m. Prior to the game, Saint Peter's will honor seniors Hopf, Smith, Kevin Croucher (Wayne, N.J./DePaul Cathoilc), Ed Mejias (Ocean Township, N.J./Ocean Township), Frank Morris (Levittown, Pa./Harry S. Truman [Seton Hall]), Eric Mozeika (Seacacus, N.J./High Tech), Adam Purcilly (Troy, Mich./Avondale) and Ariel Ramirez (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic/Babeque).
