College Baseball
Rider University 3, Manhattan College 0
Manhattan College 6, Rider University 5
RIVERDALE, NY?The Broncs split a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference doubleheader at first place Manhattan Sunday. “It was probably the first time all year that we really bared down for a doubleheader against a good club,” said Rider head coach Barry Davis. “I wish we would have played like this all year. I think if we did that we would not be in the situation we're in.”
That situation is fifth place heading into the final MAAC series of the season, one game out of fourth place and the final playoff spot.
In the first game, a seven inning contest, sophomore Mike Thomas (Forest Hill, Md./Fallston) pitched his first collegiate shutout with a career-high nine strikeouts. “Mike did a great job,” Davis said. “He went right at them.” Thomas allowed just four singles and walked two to improve to 4-2 on the season and 10-5 in his career.
The Broncs scored the only run they needed in the first inning with a two-out home run by senior Sean Olson (Vineland, N.J./St. Augustine Prep). Olson now has 161 RBI, three shy of the Bronc record. His 215 hits is fourth highest ever at Rider. Olson now has 28 home runs, fourth highest ever at Rider.
The Broncs went up 2-0 in the fifth inning when sophomore A.J. Albee (Ashley, Pa./Hanover Area) singled, went to second on a wild pitch, was sacrificed to third and scored on a ground out. Albee extended his hitting streak to 13 games in the first game with two hits, including a double, before breaking the streak in the second game.
Rider took a 3-0 lead in the sixth inning on an RBI double by sophomore Steve Galella (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./G.A.R. Memorial). Sophomore Mason Heyne (Shrewsbury, Pa./Susquehannock) doubled for the Broncs.
In the second game, Galella homered in the ninth inning, his sixth home run of the season, to cut the lead to 6-5, but that was as close as the Broncs (22-21, 11-10 MAAC) could get. With a runner on second base freshman Brandon Cotten (Wiconisco, Pa./Williams Valley) hit a ball down the first base line that the Manhattan first baseman dove for and knocked down. “It's a game of inches,” Davis said. “Cotten's ball down the line, the first baseman made a great play to knock down the lined drive and just beat him to the bag. If that ball gets through it's a tie game with Cotten on second.”
The Broncs tied the score at 4-4 in the sixth inning on a two-run home run by Heyne, his ninth home run of the season and the 15th of his career, 17th most ever at Rider.
The Broncs cut the lead to 3-2 in the fifth inning when Cotten hit an RBI double and senior James Hayes (Sunrise, Fla./Piper) knocked in a run on a ground out. Hayes had three hits in the doubleheader and now has 255 career hits, eight shy of the Bronc record.
The Jaspers (32-15, 16-5 MAAC) manufactured two runs in the first inning with a walk, a hit batsman, a single, a sacrifice fly and a fielder's choice. The Jaspers are 14-3 at home this season.
Rider lost two out of three games to Manhattan last season in Lawrenceville and the Jaspers went on to finish in second place in the MAAC. Rider and Manhattan have met 39 times in the series that began in 1998 with Rider winning 17.
In other MAAC action this weekend, third place Canisius (13-8) took two out of three from sixth place Fairfield (10-11) and second place Niagara (14-7) took two out of three from fourth place Marist (12-9).
The Broncs host La Salle Tuesday at 4pm and Saint Peter's (7-14) for a single game Thursday and a doubleheader Saturday. Rider graduates seven seniors on Friday. “We're still alive,” Davis said. “We have four games left, they are all at home and they are all winnable.”
Fairfield visits Marist next weekend while Niagara goes cross town to play Canisius Thursday-Friday. “Either Niagara or Canisius has to sweep to really help us,” Davis said. “Anything can happen. We just have to play our games, and if we can't sweep we probably don't deserve to make the playoffs.”
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