Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 College Baseball
Rider University 7, Manhattan College 1 (10 innings)
Rider University 8, Manhattan College 3
FISHKILL, NY—The Broncs swept Manhattan Saturday with two come-from-behind wins in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference doubleheader at Dutchess Stadium, site of the 2015 MAAC Championship Tournament. “It wasn't easy,” said Rider head coach Barry Davis.
Rider (23-17, 11-3 MAAC) has now won eight games in a row and 19 of the last 22. Rider has won four of the first five MAAC series it has played this year.
Manhattan (14-30, 7-13 MAAC) came into the series having won five of its last seven games, including taking two of three MAAC games from Niagara.
In the first game red-shirt freshman Brian Uliana (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom) hit a pair of RBI doubles, to tie the score at 1-1 and to give Rider a 6-1 lead. “He's a guy who hasn't played a lot (nine games before Saturday) but he did a good job in a game last week and today if he doesn't get that big hit we lose the ball game,” Davis said. “He was instrumental today.”
Rider scored six runs in the 10th inning after tying the score in the ninth.
In the 10th inning senior Justin Thomas (Richboro, PA/Council Rock South) hit an RBI single to give Rider a 2-1 lead, senior Greg Fazio (Far Hills/Ridge) hit a two-run triple and Uliana hit his second double of the game to give Rider a 6-1 lead. “We had some big hits in that tenth inning,” Davis said.
Fazio had four hits on the day.
Sophomore Josh Sharik (Ewing, NJ/Plumstead Christian) made his 26th appearance of the season and pitched two and two-thirds innings of scoreless relief for the win, his second of the season.
Uliana hit a pinch hit, RBI double to tie the score at 1-1 in the ninth inning.
A two-out walk and a pair of singles gave Manhattan a 1-0 lead in the second inning.
Early in game one Thomas, the All-MAAC first baseman, hit a single for his 200th career hit, just the 13th Bronc to ever compile 200 career hits. “That's a great accomplishment,” Davis said, 'but the play of the day, when we led 4-3 (in the second game) they had bases loaded with one out and Thomas turned a 3-2-3 (first to catcher to first) double play.”
In game two, Thomas hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh inning and senior Eric Strano (Robbinsville) hit an RBI double, his fourth hit of the day, to give Rider an 8-3 lead.
Rider scored two runs in the sixth inning on an RBI single by freshman Christian Estevez (River Edge, NJ/River Dell) and a sacrifice fly by junior Jordan Leinweber (Castle Rock, CO/Douglas County) to take a 6-3 lead.
Rider scored three runs in the fifth inning on a two-run double by junior James Locklear (Hamilton, NJ/Steinert), his fourth hit of the day, and an RBI ground out by Thomas to take a 4-3 lead.
Manhattan scored three runs in the second inning on a triple, an error and a single to take a 3-1 lead.
Fazio singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI single by Parsons for a 1-0 lead in the second inning.
Freshman starter Nick Margevicius (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Ignatius) did not allow an earned run in his four and one-third innings pitched, earning the victory and improving to 4-4. “All the runs he gave up were unearned,” Davis said. “We threw the ball away a little bit in the second game.”
Manhattan won the series at Rider last year, the first time since 2009 that Manhattan won the series with Rider. Last year two of the three games went extra innings.
Manhattan won the MAAC Championship in 2012 and 2011. Rider won the MAAC Title in 2010.
With the two wins Saturday Rider tied the all-time series with Manhattan 30-30.
The third game of the series will be played Sunday at 2pm. “It would be nice to get the third one,” Davis said. “If we can put together two good days up here it will put us in a better position for the MAAC tournament.”
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