NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. (Interstat) — Brendan Callanan pitched six solid innings and Sean Stephenson homered to ignite a four-run sixth inning as the Iona Gaels defeated the Manhattan Jaspers 7-2 on Thursday afternoon at City Park in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game.

Iona improved to 18-27 overall, while Manhattan fell to 19-28.

Callanan worked the first seven innings, striking out five and allowing two runs on six hits. Sean Davis pitched two scoreless innings of relief to close the game for the Gaels.

Manhattan starter Matthew Steinberg held Iona scoreless through five innings, allowing one hit while striking out three. He departed after five with the Jaspers leading 2-1, but the Gaels broke through in the sixth against reliever Chris Fidanza.

Stephenson’s solo home run to right-center field tied the game 2-2. After a groundout and a single by Nicholas Zollo, AJ Oden tripled to bring home Zollo and give Iona a 3-2 lead. Michael Mora followed with an RBI single to left, and the lead grew to 4-2.

Manhattan had taken a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Justin Best walked and Trevor Hansen walked. After Hunter Sute flied out, Colin Baseshore grounded out to shortstop, scoring Best. The Jaspers added a run in the seventh when Sute walked, went to third on a Baseshore single and scored on Ryan Lordier’s sacrifice fly.

The Jaspers threatened in the ninth. Baseshore singled, and Lordier doubled to put runners on second and third with one out. But Guriyandel Salva grounded out to shortstop to end the game.

Manhattan finished with seven hits. Baseshore had two hits, including a single and a double. Vincent Samuel doubled and singled for the Jaspers. Lordier also doubled.

Iona managed eight hits. Stephenson doubled and homered. Oden tripled and singled and drove in two runs. Zollo singled twice. Mora singled and drove in a run.

The pivotal moment came in the bottom of the sixth. After a quiet first five innings, the Gaels suddenly exploded against Fidanza, who had entered to start the inning. Stephenson’s homer erased Manhattan’s one-run lead. Oden’s triple and Mora’s single put the Gaels ahead for good.

Manhattan had previously taken the lead in the second inning against Callanan, who had allowed only a double to Salva in the fifth before the Jaspers scored.

The Jaspers also had a chance in the fourth when Best walked again, but he was picked off second base.

Iona added three unearned runs in the eighth inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Kevin Conceicao grounded out to third, scoring a run. Then a fielding error by Manhattan shortstop Ryan Lordier allowed two more runs to score, making it 7-2.

The game was played in front of a small afternoon crowd at City Park.

Manhattan had won its previous game 11-1 at Long Island on Tuesday. Iona had lost 8-1 at Siena on Sunday.

The two teams will continue their series with games Friday and Saturday at City Park.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Manhattan 5, Iona 3. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Manhattan with a 61.20 percent probability to win.