Box Score College Baseball
Rider University 9, Lehigh University 4
PHILADELPHIA, PA—It is not how you start but how you finish.
The Broncs gave up four runs in the first inning but scored eight runs in the final three innings for a come-from-behind win over Lehigh in the first game of the Liberty Bell Classic, played on the La Salle University campus. “It is always nice to get a win,” said Rider head coach Barry Davis. “It was a good finish.”
Rider (4-11) scored four runs in the ninth inning on four hits and a Lehigh error to take a 9-4 lead. “We put a couple of things together,” Davis said.
The biggest hits of the ninth inning were a two-run double by senior Nick Richter (Fox River Grove, Ill./Cary-Grove) and a two-run single by freshman Jake Bender (Ellicot, Md./Marriotts Ridge), who played left field for the first time since he was 15 years old. “We need to keep his bat in the lineup,” Davis said. “He's doing a good job for us.”
Richter had three RBI and three of Rider's eight hits. “Even a couple of his outs were good outs,” Davis said of his leadoff man. “He did a good job. We need that from him.”
Rider senior Kurt Sowa (Bensalem, PA/Fr. Judge) struck out seven in seven innings for the win, “Kurt did a good job,” Davis said. Sowa improved to 19-11 for his career, the 10th best career record ever at Rider. “Hopefully he'll have a few more,” Davis said.
An RBI single by senior Greg Fazio (Far Hills/Ridge) tied the score at 4-4 and pinch-runner freshman Dallas Clark (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown) scored on a wild pitch for a 5-4 Rider lead in the eighth inning.
Rider cut the lead to 4-3 in the seventh inning with two runs on a walk, stolen base, an error and a sacrifice fly.
Richter hit an RBI single in the top of the third inning to cut the Lehigh lead to 4-1.
Lehigh (3-13) took a 4-0 lead in the first inning on four hits, including a double and triple, along with a hit batter and a walk. “We didn't let it get away from us,” Davis said.
Rider senior Mike Parsons (Liverpool, NY) scored three runs, including the 100th of his career. “Not a lot of players are able to do that,” Davis said. Parsons is the 40th Bronc to score 100 runs.
Rider's scheduled home opener Wednesday has been changed to a 3pm away game at Rutgers.”We have a big game tomorrow,” Davis said.
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