College Baseball
Rider University 9, Monmouth University 5 (8 inn.)
LAWRENCEVILLE?The Broncs are now 3-0 against Garden State rivals this season, defeating Monmouth Wednesday in a rain-shortened game after defeating Seton Hall on Tuesday and Rutgers last Wednesday. “We got it in and we got a win,” rhymed Rider head coach Barry Davis. “It was a good win.”
Rider last defeated Monmouth on April 24, 2007, 12-6 at Rider. The Hawks won the last two meetings, 8-3 at Rider and 11-4 at Monmouth last season. “Monmouth is a good team,” Davis said. “I feel fortunate to beat them.”
Rider and Monmouth are former Northeast Conference rivals and have been playing each other since 1976. Rider leads the series 32-21, but the Hawks had won eight of the last nine coming in. “They've had our number in the recent past,” Davis said.
Junior Ryan Miller (Montoursville, Pa./Montoursville) pitched five innings, allowing just two earned runs while striking out seven and giving up just one walk, improving to 2-0 on the year. “I thought Miller pitched well,” Davis said. “He got us deep into the game and seemed to get better as the game went on.”
“I felt pretty good today,” said Miller. “I was in command, finally, of everything. I was getting stronger as the game went on. I was getting a feel for things early on, seeing what was working, and the fourth and fifth innings were my strongest innings. I had the slider working really well, it was sharp, and I was able to spot my fastball, so I guess everything came to together.”
Senior James Hayes (Sunrise, Fla./Piper) and sophomore Mason Heyne (Shrewsbury, Pa./Susquehannock) each had two hits and two RBI for Rider (10-10).
Sophomore John Ralston (Annandale, Va./Paul VI), senior Maurice Williams (Tinton Falls, N.J./Monmouth Regional) and sophomore A.J. Albee (Ashley, Pa./Hanover Area) also contributed two hits each for the Broncs.
Rider is now 10-3 on the season when scoring seven runs or more, 0-7 when scoring less than seven runs.
The Broncs trailed 3-2 before scoring three runs in the fourth inning on two hits and two Monmouth errors, the biggest hit of the inning a two-run double by Hayes. “Jamie's hit kind of broke the game open,” Davis said.
Rider added three more runs in the sixth inning on four hits, including a leadoff double by Ralston and RBI singles by senior Sean Olson (Vineland, N.J./St. Augustine Prep), Albee and Heyne.
Sophomore Mike Thomas (Forest Hill, Md./Fallston) pitched two scoreless innings of relief, striking out four. “Thomas did a great job coming in out of the pen,” Davis said.
For Monmouth (11-11), Nick Pulsonetti hit a 450 ft home run in the first inning following a two-out error to give the Hawks a 2-0 lead. “We kicked the ball around a bit and the next kid hit one into the next county,” Davis said.
“I had to go up to him after the game and congratulate him,” Miller said. “That was the farthest ball I've ever scene hit off of me. I made a terrible pitch and he drove it.” The home run ball reached the top of the trees beyond the left field scoreboard at Sonny Pittaro Field.
Rider hosts preseason favorite Canisius in a three-game Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference series Saturday and Sunday. Canisius won the MAAC regular season title last year before the Broncs won the championship tournament. “Canisius is very good,” Davis said. “I think we've got our work cut out for us. We know exactly what we're in for.”
So this weekend Rider (4-2 MAAC) works on defending its Conference Championship and with two games with Princeton and one game at NJIT remaining on the schedule, the Broncs are halfway toward their unofficial New Jersey State Title.
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