February 26, 2006 - Liberty 3 Rider 2 (12 innings)
February 26, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
College Baseball
Liberty University 3, Rider University 2 (12 innings)
LYNCHBURG, VA—The Broncs took Liberty into extra innings for the second time in the three-game series, before falling Sunday. “It was a good game,” said Rider head coach Barry Davis. “We played about as well as we can play, until the final inning.”
Liberty (7-2) scored an unearned run in the 12th inning on two Rider errors and a hit for the victory.
Rider (0-3) tied the score at 2-2 in the seventh inning on a solo home run by freshman Jamie Hayes (Sunrise, Fla./Piper). Hayes had two of Rider’s six hits, and both RBI. Hayes hit a ground out in the second inning that scored senior Gene Crimoli (Shrewsbury, N.J./Christian Brothers Academy), who reached base on a single.
In the top of the ninth inning freshman Nate Kline (Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) pinch hit a single, and was sacrificed to second base by senior Mike Poalise (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton), but the Broncs could not score the potential lead run. “Kline had a big pinch hit, and we moved him over, we just couldn’t get him in,” Davis said.
Poalise had two hits for the Broncs. “Mike and Jamie swung the bats well today,” Davis said. “The middle of our line up had all of the hits.”
Sophomore pitcher Derek Caldwell (Allentown, Pa./Salisbury) started and pitched four and two-thirds innings, striking out five. Freshman Dan Sasso (Bordentown, N.J./Bordentown), junior Mike Dyszel (Bristol, PA/Bristol) and freshman Mike Petrowski (Hamilton Square, N.J./Steinert) all pitched well in relief, allowing just one hit in the final six and one-third innings. “We got good pitching today from all four guys,” Davis said. “Caldwell’s pitch count was up high, that’s why we took him out in the fifth, and all three relievers pitched well. If we pitch all season the way we pitched today we’ll be fine.”
Rider travels to back to Virginia for a three-game series at Longwood March 4-5. “We were competitive in the series and we’re ahead of where we were last year,” said Davis. “All three games were winnable down here. We were competitive with a good team like Liberty. One game we hit real well, one game we couldn’t field, one game we pitch well. Now we have to put all three phases of the game together. There is no such thing as a good 0-3, but we did accomplish some positive things. We got a chance to see who can do what for us, and most of the freshmen came through and played well.”
-RU-
