May 13, 2001

LOUDONVILLE, N.Y.--After being selected sixth in the preseason coaches' poll, the Siena baseball team (29-27/19-8 MAAC) completed its season-long quest for conference supremacy with a convincing 17-4 drubbing of the visiting Iona College Gaels (17-32/8-15 MAAC). The victory, coupled with a Rider University loss earlier in the day catapulted Siena to the top of the MAAC standings and the outright conference crown. The Saints will play LeMoyne College--the 4-seed (28-18/13-8 MAAC) in the first round of the double-elimination conference championships at Fishkill's Dutchess Stadium on Thursday afternoon. Game-time is still to be determined, but will be either 5 or 8 p.m.--complete Tournament bracket follows. Siena scored in each of its eight at bats en route to the easy win. Kevin Roberts (Utica, N.Y./Notre Dame) and Fausto Franco each had three hits for Siena. Roberts surpassed the school's single-season hit record (set by Ryan Finn yesterday)---he currently has 67 base hits.

Blake Hanan (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) had two run-scoring doubles and finished the afternoon with four RBI. Chris DelVecchio also had two hits for the victors.

Junior Dave Pahucki (New Hampton, N.Y./Goshen) pitched 3.2 innings of stellar relief to pick up the victory. Pahucki struck out two, did not surrender a run and allowed just two hits. Senior Mark Smith (Schenectady, N.Y./CBA) pitched a scoreless ninth in his final collegiate regular-season game. Classmate Bill Cilento (Brookeville, Md./Sherwood) was also honored before the game.

David Mendez provided the lone bright spot for Iona with three RBI and a solo home run.

The jubilant celebration that followed the conclusion of the game was turned up a notch when the audience and team were informed of Marist's 4-1 victory over Rider in Poughkeepsie. Those two teams will meet in the other half of Thursday's first round matchups.

Siena advances to its fifth MAAC Tournament in the last seven years having won each of the previous four.