College Baseball
Canisius College 9, Rider University 7
BUFFALO, NY?Despite three hits and four RBI by junior Maurice Williams (Ocean, N.J./Monmouth Regional), the Broncs lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game at Canisius Sunday. “Somehow, with all of the errors, walks, hit batters and mistakes we managed to stay in the game,” said Rider head coach Barry Davis.
With the victory, first place Canisius (22-3, 5-1 MAAC) wins the series two games to one. “If Canisius is the top team in the league, and all indications are they are one of them, then we should end up being one of the top four the way we competed with them,” Davis said.
Canisius tied the score at 7-7 in the seventh inning with an unearned run scored on a bases loaded walk, and took a 9-7 lead in the eighth inning on a hit batsman, walk, single, a wild pitch and a throwing error, Rider's sixth error of the game. “Our inability to hold a lead cost us today,” Davis said.
Rider (13-13, 4-5 MAAC) took a 7-6 lead in the seventh inning on a three-run home run by Williams, his second of the season. “Mo came up big with a big hit,” Davis said. “He had another good day at the plate.”
The Golden Griffins took a 6-4 lead in the sixth inning with two runs on one hit, a walk, three stolen bases, an error and an RBI ground out.
Rider scored two runs in the fifth inning when junior James Hayes (Sunrise, Fla./Piper) reached base on an error and scored on a double by freshman Steve Galella (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./G.A.R. Memorial). Galella then scored on an RBI single by junior Sean Olson (Vineland, N.J./St. Augustine Prep) to tie the score at 4-4.
Hayes had two of Rider's eight hits. “Jamie played well,” Davis said.
Canisius took a 4-2 lead in the fourth inning on three hits, a walk and an error. “We didn't play fundamental baseball today,” Davis said. “We gave them too many opportunities.”
The Broncs took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on three walks, a hit batsman and an RBI single by Williams. Canisius came right back and cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the first inning.
Rider sophomore Kris Brown (Vineland, N.J./Vineland) pitched three and one-third innings of relief, allowing just two hits while striking out four.
Rider plays at LIU Tuesday. That game was originally scheduled to be played at Rider. “We've got to bounce back,” Davis said.
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