Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 College Baseball
Rider University 7, Fairfield University 4
Rider University 5, Fairfield University 2
LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ—The Broncs swept Fairfield in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference doubleheader Saturday. “We played well again, for a day,” said Rider head coach Barry Davis. “We need to put an entire weekend together.”
Rider (12-15, 4-1 MAAC) has now won its first two MAAC series this year. “That's very important,” Davis said. “These are the games that are going to take us where we want to go.”
In the first game, the Broncs scored three runs in the first inning on three hits, including a two-run single by junior Patrick Murphy (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) and a sacrifice fly.
Senior Nick Richter (Fox River Grove, Ill./Cary-Grove) had three of Rider's eight hits and scored twice in game one.
Sophomore Lee Lipinski (Glen Arm, MD/Calvert) knocked in two runs in the first game.
Rider pitcher senior Zach Mawson (Magnolia, DE/Caesar Rodney) went seven innings and struck out six to improve to 2-2. “Zach has been pretty effective all year,” Davis said. “He's been solid.”
In the second game, the Broncs scored five runs in the fifth inning on four hits, including RBI singles by senior Justin Thomas (Richboro, PA/Council Rock South), senior Greg Fazio (Far Hills, NJ/Ridge) and senior Mike Parsons (Liverpool, NY), and a sacrifice fly.
“I thought the second game was an indication that maybe we're coming together,” Davis said. “It was nice to put five up in the fifth.”
Fazio also had another assist from right field, giving him 10 on the season, tops among all Division I outfielders. Fazio spent his first three seasons at Rider as the starting second baseman. “I enjoy it a lot in the outfield,” said Fazio, a veteran of 188 Rider games, 27 as an outfielder. “When I was asked to move to the outfield I was kind of excited in a way. Whatever I can do to help the team.”
Thomas had two of Rider's seven hits.
Fairfield (7-19, 3-9 MAAC) took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on a solo home run, two walks and a single.
Rider sophomore reliever Josh Sharik (Ewing, NJ/Plumstead Christian) pitched an inning and two thirds for the save, his first.
Senior David Hafer (Pine Grove, PA) pitched two-thirds of an inning for the win, improving to 4-1. Hafer pitched a total of two innings in relief to gain his first two wins of the season and in getting his third win he pitched three innings of relief.
Rider has now won eight of its last nine games.
Junior James Locklear (Hamilton, NJ/Steinert) and senior Eric Strano (Robbinsville, NJ) both collected their 100th career hits on Saturday.
The Broncs and Stags have now met 67 times since the series began in 1956 with Rider winning 43. Rider and Fairfield did not meet last year. In 2013 Rider won the first two games against Fairfield before the Stags won the third and the last meeting between these two teams.
Rider and Fairfield play the third game of the series Sunday at 12 noon, also on the Sonny Pittaro Field. “We put some hits together today and hopefully it will continue tomorrow,” Davis said.
“We're going to do well in the MAAC,” Fazio said. “We wanted to win more of the early season games (4-14) but we realized we were playing a very tough schedule and we knew we had a talented team that should do well in conference play. That is what will take us to the NCAAs.”
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