College Baseball
Virginia Military Institute 17, Rider University 11 (9 inn)
Rider University 12, Virginia Military Institute 8 (7 inn)
LEXINGTON, VA?Senior James Hayes (Sunrise, Fla./Piper) collected five hits, including a home run and a double, four RBI and a save to lead Rider to a split in a doubleheader at VMI Saturday. “That's not a bad day,” head coach Barry Davis said of Hayes' accomplishments.
“We swung the bats today,' Davis said. “Usually when you score 23 runs you do better than split, but we earned everything we got today.”
In the second game Hayes pitched the final two scoreless innings and struck out four. Hayes walked, stole second, advanced to third on a single and scored on a double play to give Rider a 10-8 lead in the sixth inning. Hayes led off the third inning with a home run to tie the score at 2-2.
The Broncs (3-3) manufactured a run in the first inning when Hayes led off with a single, stole second, went to third on a throwing error by the catcher and scored on a sacrifice fly by senior Sean Olson (Vineland, N.J./St. Augustine Prep).
Rider sophomore Karl Johnston (Hamilton, N.J./Peddie) doubled and scored on a bases loaded walk to give Rider an 11-8 lead in the seventh inning. “Johnson had a big hit that got the inning going,” Davis said.
The Broncs took a 9-3 lead in the fifth on a solo home run by sophomore John Ralston (Annandale, Va./Paul VI). Ralston had two hits in the nightcap.
VMI (4-7) scored five runs on five hits in the bottom of the fifth inning to cut Rider's lead to 9-8.
Junior Matt McCollum (Tabernacle, N.J./Shawnee) hit a two-run single in the fourth inning to break a 2-2 tie and scored on an error to give the Broncs a 5-2 lead. An RBI single by Olson gave Rider a 7-2 lead, and Olson scored on a single by sophomore Mason Heyne (Shrewsbury, Pa./Susquehannock) for an 8-2 Rider lead. Heyne had two hits in the second game.
Sophomore A.J. Albee (Ashley, Pa./Hanover Area) had two hits in the second game.
“It was a big win after two losses in a row to them,” Davis said. “It was a good bounce back.”
Junior Kris Brown (Vineland, N.J./Vineland) pitched four innings and struck out four while allowing five earned runs. “Brown pitched well,” Davis said.
In the first game Olson hit a three-run home run in the eighth inning to cut the lead to 17-11. The home run was Olson's 20th, 10th highest ever at Rider.
A two-run single by junior Eric Woodrow (Hamilton, N.J./Hamilton West) in the seventh inning cut the lead to 17-8.
VMI took a 7-6 lead in the fourth inning with three runs on three hits, and broke the game open with nine runs in the fifth on six hits, including a grand slam and a three-run home run to take a 16-6 lead.
Rider took a 6-4 lead with two runs in the fourth inning when Williams singled, stole second and scored on a double by McCollum. McCollum advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Hayes. Hayes had three of Rider's 14 hits in the first game.
The Broncs scored four runs in the second inning on four hits, including a leadoff double by Heyne, an RBI double by junior Nick Wojnowski (Baldwin, Md./Calvert Hall), an RBI single by senior Maurice Williams (Tinton Falls, N.J./Monmouth Regional) and an RBI single by Hayes, to take a 4-3 lead.
VMI scored three in the first on three hits and two Rider errors, and tied the score at 4-4 in the second.
The Broncs play the fourth and final game of the series Sunday at 1pm. “We battled all three games,” Davis said, “and we've got Jimmer (senior Jimmer Kennedy of Levittown, Pa./Holy Ghost Prep) throwing tomorrow.”
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