College Baseball
Fairfield University 12, Rider University 11 (12 innings)
FAIRFIELD, CT?The Broncs lost to Fairfield in a four and one-half hour Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference extra inning game Sunday. “We battled back all day, but it seemed that every time we scored, they scored,” said Rider head coach Barry Davis.
With the doubleheader sweep on Saturday, Rider (20-15, 9-6) won the series two games to one and has now won three of the five MAAC series it has played. “We won the series, which is our goal every weekend,” Davis said. “If we had split on Saturday and won today we would be very happy, but ending the series with a loss leaves you a bit disappointed.”
Fairfield (11-24, 9-6 MAAC) collected its 21st hit of the game with two outs in the bottom of the 12th inning for the victory. “You have to give Fairfield credit, they kept swinging the bats,” Davis said. “We had opportunities to win, but I think they had more opportunities than we did.”
Rider sophomore Nick Wojnowski (Baldwin, Md./Calvert Hall) entered the game in the bottom of the eighth inning and hit an RBI double in the top of the ninth inning to tie the score at 11-11. “Wojo had a big hit there for us,” Davis said. “He hadn't played all weekend and we're down to our last out and he came through for us.” Wojnowski then threw out the potential winning run at the plate from right field with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.
Rider junior James Hayes (Sunrise, Fla./Piper) moved from right field to the mound in the eighth inning and struck out seven in four and two-thirds innings of work. “Jamie pitched very well,” Davis said, “but we didn't plan on him pitching that many innings.”
At the plate J. Hayes had two hits, scored two runs and stole a base.
J. Hayes pitched out of a bases loaded, one-out jam in the bottom of the 11th inning. With runners on second and third and one out, Davis called for an intentional walk to load the bases and brought an outfielder in to play infield. “We had everyone in the infield but two,” Davis said. J. Hayes got a ground ball out and a strike out to end the threat.
Rider tied the score at 10-10 in the eighth inning on a two-run home run by freshman Mason Heyne (Shrewsbury, Pa./Susquehannock), but Fairfield came right back and hit a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth to take an 11-10 lead. Heyne had three hits, including a single in the 10th inning.
Rider junior Maurice Williams (Ocean, N.J./Monmouth Regional) hit a two-out single in the seventh inning, stole second and scored on a single by freshman John Ralston (Annandale, Va./Paul VI) to cut the lead to 9-7, and freshman Steve Galella (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./G.A.R. Memorial) followed with an RBI double to cut the lead to 9-8.
Fairfield took a 9-6 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning on a walk, a pair of singles and a double steal.
Junior Sean Olson (Vineland, N.J./St. Augustine Prep) hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning to cut the lead to 7-6. The home run was Olson's second in three games, fourth in eight days and his ninth of the season.
The Broncs scored four runs in the third inning on four hits, the biggest hits a two-run double by senior David Hayes (Sunrise, Fla./American Heritage) and an RBI single by Ralston, cutting the lead to 6-4. D. Hayes had three of Rider's 18 hits and scored three runs. “David had another big day at the plate for us,” Davis said. D. Hayes had seven hits in the Fairfield series.
Fairfield jumped out to a 6-0 lead with three runs on four hits in the first inning and a three-run home run in the second inning. “We dug ourselves a big hole right out of the gate,” Davis said.
Sophomore Kris Brown (Vineland, N.J./Vineland) pitched three innings of relief, allowing just one run while striking out four.
Rider has won seven of the last nine games, nine of the last 13 and 12 of the last 18 games.
Rider hosts Monmouth Tuesday at 3:30.
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