College Baseball
Lafayette College 6, Rider University 3
EASTON, PA-The Broncs collected eight hits but lost at Lafayette Tuesday afternoon. "We haven't played well for all nine innings yet," said Rider head coach Barry Davis. "For the most part we did not take advantage of some opportunities we had."
Freshman Greg Fazio (Far Hills/Ridge) and freshman Mike Parsons (Liverpool, NY) each had two hits and an RBI for Rider (3-6). "They both had some good swings," Davis said of his rookie middle infielders.
Lafayette (3-5) hit its second home run of the game to take a 6-2 lead in the seventh inning.
Parsons' second hit of the day, an RBI double in the eighth inning, cut the lead to 6-3.
The Broncs got on the board with two runs in the sixth inning on two hits, including an RBI single by Fazio, cutting the lead to 5-2.
Rider freshman David Hafer (Pine Grove, PA) pitched four and one-third innings of relief, striking out five while allowing just one run on one hit. "We knew we had a good one in Hafer," Davis said after seeing his rookie make his longest appearance in three outings. "He got an opportunity today and he took advantage of it. I thought he threw really well. He kept us in the game and gave us a chance to win."
Rider senior Brandon Cotten (Wiconisco, Pa./Williams Valley) hit his third double of the season and the 31st of his career in the ninth inning.
Sophomore Nick Crescenzo (Hammonton, NJ/Hammonton), freshman Justin Thomas (Richboro, PA/Council Rock South) and sophomore Ken Kremer (Hershey, PA/Hershey) also collected hits for Rider.
Lafayette scored three runs in the second inning on four hits, including a home run, and took a 5-0 lead in the third inning with two more runs on three hits. "You can't give up five runs in back-to back innings early," Davis said.
Junior pitcher Tim Hogan (Gibbstown/Gloucester Catholic) started the game and suffered the loss.
The Broncs defeated Lafayette 8-7 in Flemington, NJ last year. Rider had defeated Lafayette five times in the last four years.
The former East Coast Conference rivals have now met 76 times since the series began in 1947, with Rider winning 40.
The Broncs head back south for Spring Break, beginning with a three-game series at Charleston Southern this weekend. "They will be a big challenge," Davis said. "We need to keep working with this young club."
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