College Baseball
Siena College 3, Rider University 2
LOUDONVILLE, NY-The Broncs lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game at Siena Saturday. "We've played several games like this that we've won this year," said Rider head coach Barry Davis. "You can't win them all."
The Rider loss gives Siena (13-22, 3-8 MAAC) the series two games to one. It marks the first (of four) MAAC series Rider did not win this year. "I guess we were bound to lose a series at some point," Davis said. "We played much better today than we did the second game yesterday. We just didn't do enough."
Rider (20-12, 9-3 MAAC) cut the lead to 3-2 in the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly by senior Mason Heyne (Shrewsbury, Pa./Susquehannock), the Rider career RBI leader.
Siena took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning with a two-out single and went up 3-1 in the sixth on a double, a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly.
The Broncs tied the score at 1-1 in the fifth inning when freshman Jerry Mulderig (Langhorne, PA/Council Rock South) collected his second hit of the game and scored on a double by freshman Nick Crescenzo (Hammonton, NJ/Hammonton).
"Jerry did a good job," Davis said, "considering he has only been in a handful of games. He's been working hard, he got an opportunity and he made the most of it. He caught ever ball hit to him in right field and had two hits (including a double). He did a good job."
Siena began the game with three consecutive hits to take a 1-0 lead. "We got out of it because we threw a runner out at third base," Davis said of the first inning.
Rider sophomore Joe Calogero (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill HS West) pitched seven innings, striking out five. "He kept us in the ball game," Davis said. "He didn't give up any big innings. Siena had a couple of clutch hits, two-out hits."
Sophomore Tyler Smith (Westmont/Haddon Twp.) pitched the eighth inning and struck out two of the three batters he faced.
Senior A.J. Albee (Ashley, Pa./Hanover Area), senior Steve Galella (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./G.A.R. Memorial) and freshman Ken Kremer (Hershey, PA) also collected hits for Rider. Albee had five hits in the series and now has 190 career hits.
Rider and Siena have now met 49 times since the series began in 1995 with Siena now holding a 25-24 advantage in the series.
Rider won all three games against Siena last year in Lawrenceville and all three at Siena in 2009.
Rider travels to George Mason Wednesday. "It is always a good challenge to go play a team of their caliber," Davis said. "We're looking forward to going down there and trying to get a win."
After the trip to Mason Rider hosts Fairfield in a MAAC series April 23 and 25. "We're looking forward to playing a home game," Davis said. Rider is 9-2 at home this season but has played its last seven games on the road. "We haven't played at home in a while."
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