College Baseball: Rutgers 4 Rider 3

PISCATAWAY—The Broncs led after seven innings but lost at Rutgers Tuesday afternoon at Bainton Field. “We competed,” said Rider head coach Barry Davis. “It was certainly a winnable game. We had opportunities and played great defense. It was a game that could have gone either way.”

 

Rider left the bases loaded in the third and sixth innings and left 14 runners on base for the game. “We hit the ball okay, we just need to knock those runs in, need to get a clutch hit like they did today,” Davis said. “We just left too many runners on base.”

 

Rutgers (6-12) scored two runs on three hits in the bottom of the eighth inning to take a 4-3 lead. “We had first and third with one out in the ninth, we just couldn’t get the tying run in,” Davis said. “You have to give Rutgers credit, they pitched out of a jam.”

 

Rider junior Derek Caldwell (Allentown, Pa./Salisbury) pitched five and two-thirds innings, allowing just two runs on six hits, leaving the game with a 3-2 lead. “Derek pitched great,” Davis said. “He’s pitched well his last two times out now.”

 

Caldwell was Rider’s best pitcher the second half of 2005, but missed most of 2006 and all of 2007 after ‘Tommy John’ surgery. “He went at them today, forced them to put the ball in play and we made the plays behind him,” Davis said.

 

The Broncs (8-9) took a 3-1 lead in the sixth inning with two runs on two hits and bases loaded walks to junior Maurice Williams (Ocean, N.J./Monmouth Regional) and junior Sean Olson (Vineland, N.J./St. Augustine Prep).

 

Rutgers came back and scored a run on three hits to cut the lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth.

 

The Broncs took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Williams and freshman Mason Heyne (Shrewsbury, Pa./Susquehannock) singled, Olson walked and Williams scored on a ground out by sophomore Matt McCollum (Tabernacle, N.J./Shawnee).

 

Williams, junior James Hayes (Sunrise, Fla./Piper) and freshman John Ralston (Annandale, Va./Paul VI) all had two of Rider’s eight hits. “Ralston swung the bat pretty well,” Davis said.

 

Rutgers tied the score in the bottom of the first inning on a two-out walk and a pair of singles.

 

Rider hosts Saint Joseph's Wednesday at 3:30pm.