April 5, 2006 - Rider 7 Seton Hall 4
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 5, 2006
College Baseball
Rider University 7, Seton Hall University 4
LAWRENCEVILLE—The Broncs defeated Seton Hall Wednesday. “That was a quality win for us,” said Rider head coach Barry Davis. “We’re starting to play better together.” The victory was Rider’s second in a row and third in the last five games.
Trailing 4-2, Rider scored three runs in the fourth inning on three hits, to take a 5-4 lead. The biggest hit of the inning was an RBI single by sophomore Jon Leise (Woodbury/West Deptford). Last year as a freshman Leise had six hits in a pair of games against Seton Hall, including a pair of doubles and a home run, and five RBI. “Leise is a Pirate killer,” said Davis. “We’ll have to play him every time we play Seton Hall.”
The go-ahead run was scored on a sacrifice fly by senior Mike Poalise (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton). Poalise had two hits and three RBI in the game. “Mike isn’t your typical three-hole hitter, but he’s doing a great job for us in the middle of the line up,” said Davis.
Seton Hall (8-18) scored a run in the first inning on two hits, before the Broncs came right back to tie the score in the first inning on an RBI single by senior Gene Crimoli (Shrewsbury/Christian Brothers Academy). Crimoli had two hits in the game, and senior Tom Letizia (Fair Lawn, N.J./Fair Lawn) had two hits and two walks. “Gene is continuing to swing the bat well,” said Davis.
Junior Scott Knazek (Browns Mills, N.J./Pemberton) led off the seventh inning with a double, went to third on an error and scored on a sacrifice fly by freshman Maurice Williams (Tinton Falls, N.J./Monmouth Regional) to give Rider a 6-4 lead, and the Broncs scored in the eighth inning on an RBI single by Poalise.
Junior pitcher Mike Dyszel (Bristol, PA) started and went five and one-third innings for the win, striking out three. “Dyszel battled and pitched well,” said Davis. “We threw some balls away behind him but he kept us in the game.”
Senior Steve Sciaraffo (Hillsborough) pitched two and two-thirds innings of shutout relief, allowing just one hit, and freshman Jamie Hayes (Sunrise, Fla./Piper) came in from right field to pitch a 1-2-3 ninth inning for the save, his second. Hayes had two hits as the right fielder. “The bullpen did a great job,” said Davis. “Steve came into the game in a big situation and did a good job. He’s been throwing consistent, he throws strikes. He inherited a couple of runners and neither one scored. With runners on first and third he got us two strike outs, and he’s not a big strikeout guy. Hayes, he seems like a guy who could be a closer,” Davis said. “He did the job two days in a row.”
Rider (8-19, 3-3 MAAC) plays a MAAC doubleheader at Fairfield Saturday. “Now that we’re putting some wins together I hope it carries a little momentum into the weekend,” said Davis.
-RU-
