College Baseball
Rider University 3, Long Island University 2
Rider University 10, Long Island University 4
LAWRENCEVILLE-The Broncs swept the Blackbirds in the final home games of the 2010 season. Rider (30-21) won all four of its non-conference games over the weekend to reach the 30-win plateau. "30 wins is a great goal to be able to reach," said Rider head coach Barry Davis. "That is something we've been striving for the last few years."
It was just the sixth time in the 68-year history of the sport at Rider that the Broncs won 30 baseball games in a season and the first since 2002 when Rider finished 33-22. "I knew it hasn't been done very many times in Rider's history so we feel good about it," Davis said. "It is a great accomplishment for the team. Obviously it is not our ultimate goal, but it is something hopefully we can build on."
In the first game the Broncs took a 3-2 lead in the sixth inning on an RBI single by junior Mason Heyne (Shrewsbury, Pa./Susquehannock). Heyne had all three RBI in the first game. "Mason had another big hit for us," Davis said. "We needed three runs in that game and he was able to do it."
Third-year sophomore Patrick Devlin (Richboro, Pa./Council Rock North) pitched six innings, allowing one earned run while striking out four for his fifth win of the season. "I've struggled a little bit this year," said Devlin (5-3), who missed most of last year with an injury. "Today I felt pretty good. They were swinging over my curveball a lot and I was able to throw my change-up for strikes."
"I thought Devlin was pretty good," Davis said. "He was in control of the game. Both team's pitchers threw great in the first game. It was a well-played game."
"It was pretty awesome that we won the second game and got to 30 wins," Devlin said. "That was our first goal, to win 30, then make it to the MAAC tournament, and then win the MAAC tournament. We can check the first one off the list."
Freshman Tyler Smith (Westmont/Haddon Twp.) pitched a scoreless seventh inning for his seventh save of the season.
Rider tied the score at 2-2 in the third inning on an RBI ground out by Heyne.
LIU took a 2-1 lead in the third inning on an unearned run.
Rider took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on three singles, including an RBI single by Heyne. LIU came back and tied the score at 1-1 in the top of the second inning on three hits. Devlin pitched out of a bases loaded, one-out jam with a pair of strikeouts in the second. "I was able to work through it," Devlin said.
"What little jams he had he was able to pitch out of," Davis said.
In the second game, the Broncs broke the game open when junior A.J. Albee (Ashley, Pa./Hanover Area) hit a three-run double in the fifth inning to take a 9-1 lead. "Albee is consistent," Davis said. "He doesn't give up at bats. He gives you a good at bat every time. When he's up the pitcher is going to have to work for it."
"I went through a little slump but today I felt pretty good," said Albee, who has 13 hits in his last seven games, including four on Sunday, and now has 74 hits on the season. "It felt really good to get the 30th win. That was one of our goals before the season so it feels pretty good to accomplish it."
Rider scored three runs in the fourth inning as junior Steve Galella (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./G.A.R. Memorial), freshman Ian Lindsay (Oaklyn/Haddon Twp.) and senior Nick Wojnowski (Baldwin, Md./Calvert Hall) all doubled, as the Broncs took a 6-1 lead. Galella has 14 hits in his last nine games. Wojnowski had three hits in the second game.
LIU (13-39) cut the lead to 3-1 in the fourth inning with a solo home run, the Blackbird's first hit of the game.
Sophomore Brandon Cotten (Wiconisco, Pa./Williams Valley) walked and scored on a double by Albee and Albee scored on a double by Heyne, as Rider took a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
Freshman Mike O'Reilly (Colts Neck) had two hits, including one of Rider's eight doubles in the second game.
Junior Nate Eppley (Dillsburg, Pa./Northern) was one of six Rider pitchers in game two and was credited with the win, pitching two perfect innings of relief, striking out one.
Heyne had four RBI in the doubleheader and moved up to fourth on the Rider career list with 143. "He's in the four-hole," Davis said, "and we have 'on-base' guys hitting in front of him. He's gotten the opportunities and he's been able to produce."
Five graduating seniors were honored before their final home games, senior Eric Woodrow (Hamilton, N.J./Hamilton West), senior Darron Lattomus (Remington, Va./West Springfield), senior Brian Herman (Levittown, Pa./Conwell-Egan), senior Ryan Miller (Montoursville, Pa./Montoursville) and Wojnowski, and all five seniors played Sunday.
Rider defeated LIU 12-9 on April 21.
Rider and LIU are former Northeast Conference rivals and Rider holds a 26-12 advantage in the series that began in 1941. The Broncs defeated LIU 9-7 last year at Rider.
The Broncs travel to Temple Tuesday before closing out the regular season with a three-game MAAC series at Iona Friday and Saturday. "The road game at Temple will hopefully get us ready for next weekend," Davis said.
"We've got another big weekend next week at Iona," Devlin said. "That could put us in a good spot for the tournament."
"We can't have any let down," Albee said. "We have to go up there and try to get three wins."
With a successful weekend at Iona the Broncs will take part in the four-team MAAC Championship tournament May 26-29 in Fishkill, NY.
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