May 18, 2007 - Fairfield 12 Rider 11
May 18, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
College Baseball
Fairfield University 12, Rider University 11
LAWRENCEVILLE—The Broncs ended the 2007 season with a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference loss to Fairfield Friday. “It is kind of a fitting end for the way things went for us,” said Rider head coach Barry Davis. “That’s the way it has been for us recently.”
Trailing 2-1, Rider (20-29, 11-15 MAAC) took a 5-2 lead in the third inning on an RBI double by red-shirt freshman Matt McCollum (Tabernacle/Shawnee) and a two-run home run by junior Jon Leise (Woodbury/West Deptford), his fourth of the season. Leise had three hits on the day. “We saw some good things offensively today,” Davis said. “We made up for a couple weeks worth of not hitting.”
Fairfield (18-28, 12-14 MAAC) scored seven runs in the seventh inning on seven hits and three Rider errors to tie the score at 9-9, and took a 10-9 lead in the eighth inning. “When you have a 9-3 lead with two outs in the seventh inning you have to win the game,” Davis said. “That just proves that you have to play all nine innings. Give Fairfield some credit, they swung the bats, put some hits together and the next thing you know they are back in the game and taking the lead.”
Rider trailed 12-9 before scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning when sophomore Sean Olson (Vineland/St. Augustine Prep) doubled, McCollum hit a sacrifice fly and freshman Nick Wojnowski (Baldwin, MD/Calvert Hall) hit an RBI single, his third hit of the game. “We battled back at the end,” Davis said. “We could have folded but we didn’t.”
Sophomore Adam Tussey (Brooklawn/Gloucester) collected four of Rider’s 18 hits, while sophomore Mo Williams (Tinton Falls/Monmouth Regional) had three doubles. “Everything is contagious with us,” Davis said. “When we’re going well and hitting the ball, everybody hits the ball. And on the other side, as soon as that (seventh) inning started to go bad, we couldn’t stop it.”
Rider junior lefty Will O’Connor (Cinnaminson) pitched six innings and left the game with a 9-2 lead. “Willie pitched a great game,” Davis said. “It is a shame he didn’t get a win today.”
The games brings the 2007 season to a close. “We’ll pick ourselves up and start preparing for next year probably Monday,” Davis said.
-RU-
