College Baseball
Rider University 8, Seton Hall University 2
SOUTH ORANGE? Senior Sean Olson (Vineland, N.J./St. Augustine Prep) and sophomore Mason Heyne (Shrewsbury, Pa./Susquehannock) combined for five hits and four RBI to lead Rider to victory at Seton Hall Tuesday. “This was a good win,” said Rider head coach Barry Davis. “We got good pitching, we played good defense and we got some timely hitting.”
Heyne led off the second inning with a home run, his sixth of the season, to give Rider (9-10) a 1-0 lead.
Olson hit a two-run double in the third inning to give Rider a 3-0 lead, all the runs they would need. “That was a big hit by Olson in the third inning,” Davis said.
Senior Derek Caldwell (Allentown, Pa./Salisbury) started and pitched six and two-thirds innings, striking out four for his second consecutive victory. ”Caldwell threw well,” said Davis. “He threw strikes and he took us deep into the game, which is what we needed. He did an outstanding job.”
Heyne's RBI double in the sixth inning made it 8-1 Rider.
Sophomore Steve Galella (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./G.A.R. Memorial) also had two hits for the Broncs, who defeated Seton Hall for the first time since 2006, with the Pirates winning the last two.
Rider sophomore pitcher Nate Eppley (Dillsburg, Pa./Northern) entered the game in the seventh inning with one out and runners on second and third and struck out the first two batters he faced to get out of the jam. “Eppley did a great job of getting us out of a jam,” Davis said.
Rider is now 2-0 against New Jersey institutions (Rutgers win last week) and hosts Monmouth on Wednesday. “So far we're doing okay against the in-state teams, but we've got Monmouth tomorrow,” Davis said.
MAAC-rival Canisius comes to Lawrenceville for a three-game series this Saturday and Sunday.
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