MAAC Baseball Tournament
Canisius College 4, Rider University 3
TRENTON, NJ-The 2011 season came to an end for the Rider baseball team, losing to Canisius in the elimination game of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship Tournament, held at Mercer County's Waterfront Park.
"All good things have to come to an end," said Rider head coach Barry Davis. "This is what makes winning so good. When you do win you better enjoy it because it is hard to do."
Canisius (26-31) scored two runs on two hits and a hit batsman in the seventh inning to take a 4-3 lead. A two-run double down the left field line by Drew Pettit was the game-winner. "He got a big hit there," Davis said. "They were a bit more fundamentally sound then we were. Clutch hitting wins this time of year."
"It was a fast ball in that I thought was going to go foul," said Rider senior pitcher Nate Eppley (Dillsburg, Pa./Northern), who gave up four runs on seven hits in seven innings of work, striking out a career-high eight. "He hit it well, so you have to give him credit."
"Nate threw fine," Davis said.
"I didn't have my best stuff today but I felt fine," said Eppley, who graduates with 10 wins, including six this year. "It is hard to swallow any loss, but this is a tough one."
Rider (33-18) senior Steve Galella (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./G.A.R. Memorial) hit an RBI single and scored on a balk to give Rider a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning.
An Academic All-American candidate who graduated magna cum laude, Galella graduates with 202 hits, eighth most ever at Rider, and 130 career RBI, also eighth most ever at Rider.
Rider freshman Nick Crescenzo (Hammonton, NJ/Hammonton) had two hits and four for the tournament. The MAAC and New Jersey Rookie of the Year, Crescenzo led off the fifth inning with a single and scored on Galella's hit. Crescenzo also doubled in the ninth to keep Rider's hopes alive.
"Big hit by Nick to give us life," Davis said. "He was a catalyst for us."
Senior John Ralston (Annandale, Va./Paul VI) had two hits for the Broncs and five assists in the field, including two diving stops on ground balls up the middle. The four-year starting shortstop who has played more baseball games (213) than any Bronc in program history, graduated with 192 hits.
Senior Mason Heyne (Shrewsbury, Pa./Susquehannock), the Rider career leader in RBI (186) and doubles (67), had an RBI ground out to tie the score at 1-1 in the first inning.
The Golden Griffs scored in the first inning on a bases loaded strikeout/wild pitch, Eppley's third K of the inning.
Senior Karl Johnston (Hamilton, N.J./Peddie) collected a hit, his third of the tournament, and graduates with 119 in three years.
Rider senior A.J. Albee (Ashley, Pa./Hanover Area) also had a hit Friday and graduates with 208, sixth most ever at Rider. Albee graduated cum laude and graduates fifth in career runs scored with 149.
The Rider seniors graduate with 124 wins, the most over a four-year period in program history.
Rider won two of three with Canisius during the regular season. "This is disappointing for the seniors," Davis said. "They won a lot of games and they are all good guys. They worked hard, went to the playoffs all four years, won it twice, went to the NCAAs twice. It's tough."
The Broncs ended the 2011 regular season by winning 12 of their final 14 games before going 0-2 in the championship tournament. "We didn't adjust well offensively," Davis said. "We weren't able to score. I guess the law of averages caught up to us. You have to remember that you are playing good teams this time of year. Hopefully we'll be fortunate enough to get back here next year."
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