College Baseball
Rider University 10, Niagara University 2
Rider University 12, Niagara University 1
LAWRENCEVILLE-The Broncs swept a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference doubleheader with Niagara Saturday and swept the series to begin defense of their 2010 conference title with a 3-0 conference record.
The Broncs banged out 53 hits and scored 34 runs in the series. "Go up and down our line-up," said Rider head coach Barry Davis, "if everybody is on their game we're tough outs, one through nine."
The nine hitter this weekend was senior shortstop John Ralston (Annandale, Va./Paul VI), who led the Broncs with five hits and six RBI in the twin bill, along with 12 assists and three putouts, turning five double plays. "Everything seemed to work out today," said Ralston, who now has 174 hits, 24th most ever at Rider, 88 RBI, 35th most ever at Rider and 95 runs scored, along with 471 career assists. "It's fun to play behind pitchers who throw well and our guys threw well today."
"He's been the starting shortstop for four years," Davis said, "and he's a good, solid player. You know you are going to get a good effort. You know he's going to make the routine plays, but today he made more than the routine plays. On any good team your shortstop has to be a good player."
"I've always taken pride in my defense and that's what I'm most happy with today," Ralston said. "I just made the plays that were there for me to make."
In the first game the Broncs scored four runs in the top of the first inning without a hit, as Niagara committed two errors, hit a batter and walked three. Sophomore Adam Wayman (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./G.A.R. Memorial) hit a sacrifice fly that gave Rider a 4-0 lead.
Ralston had three of Rider's 13 hits and knocked in three runs. "He's been swinging the bat pretty good," Davis said. "He had good swings. He didn't have any cheap hits today."
Freshman Nick Crescenzo (Hammonton, NJ/Hammonton) had two hits and two RBI in game one.
Junior Patrick Devlin (Richboro, Pa./Council Rock North) pitched a complete game (seven innings), striking out six while allowing just one earned run to improve to 3-1. "Pat's pretty good," Davis said. "We got ahead and he was able to attack the hitters."
"I felt all right, not my best," Devlin said after pitching in the cold. "Our hitters were getting so many hits the innings were lasting a long time and I started tightening up in the dugout. Don't get me wrong, runs are nice, but with the cold weather my arm tightens up. It was hard to get loose again. My curve ball was working good today, so I used my fastball to set them up."
Junior Brandon Cotten (Wiconisco, Pa./Williams Valley) reached base all five times out of the leadoff spot with two hits and three walks.
"We're playing well right now," Devlin said. "Personally I feel like I'm throwing well, keeping the ball down."
In the second game, Rider (13-8, 3-0 MAAC) gave senior pitcher Nate Eppley (Dillsburg, Pa./Northern) a 4-0 lead in the second inning with four hits along with two Niagara (3-20, 0-3 MAAC) errors, led by a two-run single by Ralston.
Eppley pitched a complete game (nine innings), striking out four for his third win of the season. "I thought Nate was good," Davis said. "We caught the ball behind him. He has that sink on the ball. It was nice to have that kind of performance."
"I felt good today," said Eppley. "I was throwing the fastball well and my curve was breaking for strikes. They were swinging at it a lot so I felt real good. The defense stepped up big today so I felt confident. My fastball had a run on it so they were pounding it into the ground and the defense did a great job."
Senior A.J. Albee (Ashley, Pa./Hanover Area) saw his eight-game hitting streak come to an end in the first game but came back with three of Rider's 16 hits in the second game.
Senior Steve Galella (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./G.A.R. Memorial) had three RBI in game two
Nick Crescenzo had two more hits in the second game, extending his hitting streak to 10 games while raising his team-leading batting average to .447.
Senior Mason Heyne (Shrewsbury, Pa./Susquehannock) had two hits in the second game and four hits on the day.
Senior Karl Johnston (Hamilton, N.J./Peddie) had two hits in the second game and three on the day.
"I don't think we've been 3-0 in the league since I've been here," Davis said of Rider's start to conference play. "Niagara has always been tough on us so we're fortunate to win all three. Our starting pitching was great and we swung the bats."
"It is definitely big to start the league schedule 3-0," Eppley said. "Get that first series out of the way and take a big step in the direction we want to go."
"It's huge to start 3-0," Ralston said. "This team has always given us problems in the past so we're happy to come away with three wins."
Rider travels to Seton Hall Tuesday.
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