College Baseball

Monmouth University 13, Rider University 5

Monmouth University 3, Rider University 0

WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ— Like sand through the hourglass, so are the games of this baseball season.

The hourglass, sometimes with the addition of metaphorical wings, is often depicted as a symbol that human existence is fleeting, and that the "sands of time" will run out.

After 15 conference games with just seven MAAC games remaining, Rider fans are hoping the sands of time are not running out on the Broncs.

“We're out of the playoffs (top six) right now and we have to find a way to win our way back in,” said Rider head coach Barry Davis. “That's where we are at right now, and it is unfamiliar territory for us.”

Rider has competed in the MAAC playoffs the last six straight years.

Since Rider, Monmouth and Saint Peter's are all about an hour from each other, the three-way rivalry between the NJ MAAC teams called the Hourglass Rivalry was established this year. The annual winner of the Hourglass will be decided by the competition of various sports between the three institutions.

The Broncs lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference doubleheader at Monmouth Saturday.

In the second game Rider (13-28, 5-10 MAAC) was shutout for just the third time this year, collecting four hits.

Rider junior Justin Thomas (Richboro, PA/Council Rock South) got Rider's first hit of the game in the fourth inning. Thomas had three hits in the doubleheader and a pair of RBI.

Monmouth (18-20, 8-7 MAAC) took a 3-0 lead in the first inning on a single, a hit batsman and a home run.

“We've been giving up big innings at the start of games all year,” Davis said.  “Today was no different.”

Rider junior Zach Mawson (Magnolia, DE/Caesar Rodney) pitched well after the first inning, allowing just five more hits the rest of the game. “He did fine,” Davis said.  “He gave us a chance. We had bases loaded (sixth inning) and we had runners on first and second in another inning. We had opportunities. In a three-nothing ball game all it takes is a couple big hits, which we didn't get.”

In the first game Rider scored four runs in the third inning on three hits, including a two-run single by Thomas and an RBI double by junior Greg Fazio (Far Hills/Ridge), to cut the Monmouth lead to 6-4. “We got back in it,” Davis said.

But Monmouth came right back with three runs in the bottom of the third and two in the bottom of the fourth to take an 11-4 lead.

The Hawks hit for the cycle with a single, double, triple and a home run in the first inning to take 5-0 lead.

After giving up just seven earned runs in his last 36 innings, senior Kyle Kennett (Spring Lake, NJ/St. Rose) allowed nine earned runs in less than three innings Saturday.

Thomas and junior Nick Richter (Fox River Grove, Ill./Cary-Grove) each had two of Rider's seven hits.

Richter stole another base and now has 31, second most in the nation and just nine shy of the Rider record of 40 that was set in 1967.

The third game of the series is Sunday at 12 noon, also at Monmouth. “We've got to put a full nine innings together,” Davis said.

-ru-