Box Score College Baseball
Siena College 5, Rider University 2
LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ—Three walks and two errors led to five Siena runs in the first two innings and a Saints victory in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game Friday. “Our defense was just not good today,” said Rider head coach Barry Davis.
Siena (14-26, 8-5 MAAC) scored two runs in the first inning when, with two outs, three straight Saints walked before an infield popup fell untouched.
Siena added three in the second inning on two hits and two Rider errors. “We have to catch the damn ball,” Davis said.
Sophomore Nick Margevicius (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Ignatius) pitched into the seventh inning, allowing two earned runs. “Nick never walks batters, let alone three in a row,” Davis said.
The 6'4” lefty had allowed just two earned runs in his last 24 innings pitched before Friday, with 28 strikeouts and just three walks in those 24 innings. “This is two weekends in a row that our defense has let Nick down,” Davis said, “and we haven't been scoring much for him either.”
For Rider (13-26, 5-8 MAAC) freshman Riley Mihalik (Churchville, PA/Chestnut Hill) doubled and scored on a double by freshman Jack Finn (Ellicott City, MD/Calvert Hall) to get Rider on the board in the fifth inning.
The Broncs scored a run in the ninth when junior Lee Lipinski (Glen Arm, MD/Calvert) singled and eventually scored on a ground out.
Junior Tyler Kaiser (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown), sophomore Christian Estevez (River Edge, NJ/River Dell) and senior James Locklear (Hamilton, NJ/Steinert) also collected hits for Rider.
Locklear now has 167 career hits, 32nd most ever at Rider.
Freshman Anthony Arneth (Pine Beach, NJ/Central Regional) and junior Josh Sharik (Ewing, NJ/Plumstead Christian) combined for two and two-thirds scoreless innings of relief. “Our bullpen was really good today,” Davis said.
Rider was rained out at Siena last season. In the 2015 MAAC Championship Tournament the fourth seeded Saints upset the top seeded Broncs 5-4 in the second round.
The last time Siena came to Lawrenceville the Saints won two of three games with Rider. The Broncs lead the all-time series 32-31.
The series was moved to Friday-Saturday due to inclement weather expected on Sunday. The second and third games of the series will be played Saturday, beginning at 12 noon with a seven-inning contest.
“Tomorrow is pretty important,” Davis said. “If we come out and win the first game tomorrow then we are back to square one and we can win the series,” Davis said. “This is what we look to do.”
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