College Baseball
Monmouth University 3, Rider University 1
LAWRENCEVILLE—The Broncs lost a mid-week game to Monmouth Tuesday afternoon. “Our ineptitude allowed Monmouth to get their first two runs,” said Rider head coach Barry Davis. “It was just a bad game on our part.”
Rider (20-14) cut the lead to 2-1 in the fourth inning on three hits.
Monmouth (21-13) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning with an unearned run on a single, an error, a wild pitch and a ground out.
The Hawks made it 2-0 in the second inning on two hits and another Rider error.
Rider senior Joe Calogero (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill HS West) pitched six and one-third innings, allowing just two earned runs. “He pitched well enough to win,” Davis said of his veteran lefty.
Rider senior Ian Lindsay (Oaklyn/Haddon Twp.) doubled, while freshman Brian Donnelly (Churchville, PA/Council Rock South) singled and scored.
Junior Nick Crescenzo (Hammonton, NJ/Hammonton), sophomore Greg Fazio (Far Hills/Ridge), sophomore Justin Thomas (Richboro, PA/Council Rock South) and freshman Lee Lipinski (Glen Arm, MD/Calvert) all singled for the Broncs.
“We had some guys take some decent cuts at the plate but not much positive to take away from this one,” Davis said.
The last time Monmouth visited Lawrenceville, April 1, 2009, the Broncs won 9-5 in a rain-shortened eight-inning contest.
Rider lost a wild one at Monmouth last year, scoring five runs in the ninth inning before giving up six Monmouth runs in the bottom of the ninth in the 6-5 Hawk win. The two teams did not meet in 2011 and Rider lost 7-6 at Monmouth in 2010.
Rider and Monmouth are former Northeast Conference rivals and will become Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference rivals next year. Since the series between the two Garden State teams began in 1976 Rider has won 32 of the 57 meetings.
Rider hosts LIU Wednesday. “If we come out and play like this tomorrow we'll lose again,” Davis said.
-ru-
