College Baseball
Rider University 9, Long Island University 7
LAWRENCEVILLE?Junior Matt McCollum (Tabernacle, N.J./Shawnee) collected three hits, including the 100th of his career, to lead Rider to a victory over LIU Wednesday. “It's always good to win,” said Rider head coach Barry Davis. “We didn't take advantage of all the opportunities we had, but it was a good solid game.”
McCollum collected two hits before red-shirting his freshman season with a knee injury. In his first full season he collected 42 hits, 29 last season and now has 27 hits this year. “Matt swung the bat well today,” Davis said.
“I read an article last week that said I had 95 hits, so I knew I was getting close,” McCollum said. “It wasn't something that was on my mind, but it was nice to get. It was one of the goals I set. 100 hits means you are getting results over the course of your career.”
Rider senior James Hayes (Sunrise, Fla./Piper) also had three hits Wednesday, including a double, and came in from right field to pitch the ninth inning, striking out two without allowing a hit for his fifth save of the season and the 31st of his career.
Hayes also scored a run Wednesday and now has 164 career runs. 165 is the Rider record, set in 2003 by Carl Loadenthal, who is currently playing with the Binghamton Mets (AA).
Rider (18-15) scored four runs in the second inning, all with two outs, on three hits, the biggest hit a pinch-hit two-run home run by senior Sean Olson (Vineland, N.J./St. Augustine Prep). “Olson got a big hit for us, again,” Davis said.
Olson, the ECAC and MAAC Player of the Week last week, was late for the game due to class. “I sprinted right from class to the field and started to swing the bat,” Olson said.
The home run was his ninth of the season and the 27th of his career, fifth most ever at Rider. Olson ranks 45th in the country in RBI per game, and now has 44 RBI for the season, 13 shy of the Rider single season record. Olson has 154 career RBI, 12 shy of the Rider career record.
Rider freshman Chris Pierfy (Hamilton, N.J./Nottingham) served as the Bronc designated hitter until Olson arrived and hit an RBI single in his first collegiate at bat to tie the score at 1-1 in the first inning. “Pierfy had his number called today and got in there and got a base knock,” Davis said.
Sophomore A.J. Albee (Ashley, Pa./Hanover Area) hit a two-out, solo home run in the third inning to give Rider a 6-2 lead. Albee had two of Rider's 13 hits.
Junior Brian Herman (Levittown, Pa./Conwell-Egan) pitched three and one-third innings of relief for the victory, his first. “Herman did a good job,” Davis said. “I felt pretty good today,” said Herman. “I was just trying to throw strikes today and let the guys field the ball, and that's what they did.”
Making his first career start, Rider sophomore Jeff Giordano (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa) pitched three innings, striking out two while allowing four earned runs. “I thought Jeff did a good job early on,” Davis said. “We're a little banged up in our pitching staff right now, so it was important for Herman and Giordano to get out there and do well for us, and they did.”
Sophomore Steve Galella (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./G.A.R. Memorial), sophomore Mason Heyne (Shrewsbury, Pa./Susquehannock) and junior Eric Woodrow (Hamilton, N.J./Hamilton West) also collected hits for Rider, while sophomore John Ralston (Annandale, Va./Paul VI) had two successful sacrifice bunts.
LIU (9-26) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning, cut the lead to 5-2 in the third inning, scored three runs in the fourth inning to cut the lead to 6-5 and scored two runs in the seventh inning to cut the lead to 8-7. “Give them credit,” Davis said, “LIU did a good job.”
Rider is now 7-3 on its home Sonny Pittaro Field with 10 home games remaining at "The Pitt."
The Broncs host Fairfield in a three-game MAAC series this weekend, beginning with a 12 noon doubleheader Saturday. “This is a big series coming up,” Davis said. “The weather is supposed to be nice, so that will be good for a change.”
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