College Baseball

Rider University 8, Fairfield University 6

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ— Canisius is the defending Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champion and was picked to finish first in the MAAC this year. Rider went to Canisius last weekend and won two of three games.

Fairfield was picked to finish second in the MAAC this year. Rider hosted the Stags this weekend and the Broncs won all three games.

“Both (conference) teams we've played so far are quality teams,” said Rider head coach Barry Davis.

Rider was picked to finish seventh in the 11-team league, a league where the top six make the playoffs. The Broncs are now 5-1 against the top two teams in the MAAC. “To be 5-1 against these two teams, we feel very fortunate,” Davis said.

The Broncs defeated Fairfield Sunday to sweep the MAAC series three games to none.

Rider (13-15, 5-1 MAAC) broke open a 3-2 game with four runs in the fourth inning on three hits, the biggest hit a three-run triple by junior James Locklear (Hamilton, NJ/Steinert). “They brought in the lefty to face him, but he hits lefties better than you would think,” Davis said of his junior left fielder, who had four hits in the series. “That was a very big hit.”

Rider senior Justin Thomas (Richboro, PA/Council Rock South) had three of Rider's nine hits, including a double, and two RBI.  “Justin has probably been our most consistent player this season,” Davis said of his All-MAAC first baseman. “The rest of the league respects him and pitch him that way. He's done a great job making the adjustments at the plate.”

Thomas' RBI double in the third inning gave Rider a 3-2 lead. His RBI single in the fourth inning gave Rider a 7-2 lead. “He's the guy we want up in the clutch situations,” Davis said.

“We've played two good teams in the MAAC so far,” said Thomas, the MAAC Player of the Week last week, “and we've been trying to play our best against them.”

With the series sweep Rider has now won eight of its last nine games.  “We're getting there,” Thomas said. “I don't know if we're there yet but the last two weekends have been good for us.”

Rider freshman Nick Margevicius (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Ignatius) pitched six and one-third innings for his second victory, allowing just one earned run, and left the game with a 7-2 lead. “Nick has done a good job,” Davis said.  “He throws strikes. He got us into the seventh inning.”

Fairfield (7-20, 3-10 MAAC) took a 2-0 lead in the second inning with three singles and a Rider error.  The Stags scored four runs in the seventh inning on two hits and four walks to cut the Rider lead to 7-6.

Rider senior Eric Thomas (Dallastown, PA/Dallastown Area) pitched a scoreless ninth inning, striking out two, for the save, his sixth.

Also for Rider senior Nick Richter (Fox River Grove, Ill./Cary-Grove) had two hits and two stolen bases.

The Broncs and Stags have now met 68 times since the series began in 1956 with Rider winning 44. 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 will play Tuesday night at Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia in the Liberty Bell Classic Championship Game. Rider beat Lehigh and La Salle in the first two rounds and will now play Villanova at 7:30 on the Philadelphia Phillies' home field. “The experience of playing in a major league ballpark will be fun, something the players will remember for the rest of their lives,” Davis said.  “We certainly want to play well and win. Hopefully we'll do that.”

“I'm excited about playing there,” Thomas said. “It will be my second time playing there and the whole team is excited about it. It is going to be a good night.”

Rider will be in the third base dugout and tickets ($5) are available at the WEST ticketing window at the park.

-ru-