College Baseball
Rider University 6, Princeton University 0
PRINCETON?The Broncs stayed perfect against New Jersey rivals this season, defeating Princeton Tuesday. “It was a good day,” said Rider head coach Barry Davis. “It just so happens that we're playing pretty good and we've beaten the teams in the State. We hope that we can continue to play well.”
Rider senior Derek Caldwell (Allentown, Pa./Salisbury) pitched eight shutout innings, allowing just four hits while striking out eight. “I felt good today,” Caldwell said. “I was able to throw everything for strikes today. I wasn't throwing that hard, it was cold out there, but I was spotting up pretty well.”
“Caldwell was about as good as he's been,” Davis said. “He pitched outstanding. He commanded both sides of the plate. We played pretty good defense behind him.”
The victory was Caldwell's third straight win, all against New Jersey teams. “I'm starting to get into a bit of a groove right now,” Caldwell said. “I'm a little more consistent with everything I'm doing with my motion.”
Rider (12-12) took a 2-0 lead in the third inning when senior Sean Olson (Vineland, N.J./St. Augustine Prep) homered and sophomore Steve Galella (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./G.A.R. Memorial) hit an RBI double.
The home run for Olson was the 22nd of his career, ninth highest ever at Rider. “I got a fastball inside,” Olson said. “I've been trying to go up the middle, so I kept my hands inside and hit a good lined drive that got up into the wind.”
The Broncs made it 4-0 in the fifth inning when Olson hit an RBI single and Galella hit another RBI double.
Olson is now fourth in career RBI at Rider with 137. “I think the RBIs mean more to me than the homeruns,” Olson said. “Anytime I can help by getting runners in is good.”
Junior Eric Woodrow (Hamilton, N.J./Hamilton West) had three hits for Rider, while sophomore Mason Heyne (Shrewsbury, Pa./Susquehannock) and junior Matt McCollum (Tabernacle, N.J./Shawnee) each had two hits.
Rider has already defeated Seton Hall, Rutgers and Monmouth this year and is at NJIT next week and hosts the Tigers at the end of April. “What matters is that we're capable of winning the games in the middle of the week,” Davis said. “We're getting quality starts in the non-conference games, something we didn't always get in the past.”
“Caldwell pitched great today,” Olson said. “He looked really good, keeping the ball down and throwing strikes with more than one pitch.”
Rider and Princeton have now met 45 times since the series began in 1959, with Rider now holding a 23-22 advantage. Princeton won at Rider last year and these two teams will meet again April 28 in Lawrenceville.
“Whoever we play on a certain day, I'll pitch and I'll do my best,” Caldwell said. “The conference games mean the most, but when we are playing the non-conference games it is nice to beat a Jersey team for bragging rites,” Olson said.
The Broncs host Temple Wednesday at 3:30pm. “Temple is a team that is playing well and is in a good league,” Davis said. “It would be nice to get over .500 tomorrow.”
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