Marist baseball found themselves on the wrong end of a sweep in their weekend series against the Rider Broncs, being dominated by great pitching and hitting across the series.
Rider (28-11, 18-5 MAAC) starting pitchers dealt the entire series, with every starter going at least six innings. They held the Red Foxes to only two runs across 23 innings of work.
Marist (16-22, 9-10 MAAC) entered the series fresh off a 2-1 series win over Mount St. Mary’s after struggling in MAAC play against Canisius and Saint Peter’s. They came in owning the second-best earned run average in the MAAC, but the lowest batting average.
Rider is one of the best offensive teams in the conference, registering the second-best batting average and third-best slugging percentage of all MAAC teams. They also came in sitting at second in the conference behind Fairfield. Sophomore Joe Tiroly is also in the middle of a stellar season, leading the MAAC in batting average and home runs.
Due to rain on Saturday, the teams played a double-header on Friday, leaving game three for Sunday. Rider won game one in blowout fashion, dismantling the Red Foxes 7-0. Senior right-hander Brian Young pitched a complete game, striking out eight batters and holding Marist to only two hits, both doubles by freshman infielder Noel Rivera.
Tiroly and junior outfielder Erich Hartmann combined for six of Rider’s 14 hits. The Broncs scored four runs through the first two innings, three coming from sac-flies, and the other a passed ball. Rider added two more runs from a Tiroly single and a throwing error from right field.
Redshirt Sophomore Will Taylor threw six innings with three earned runs for the Foxes, and graduate student pitcher Riley Orr gave up two earned runs across two innings pitched, with two unearned runs because of poor fielding.
“Guys came in and did their jobs, but we needed to defend better,” said head coach Lance Ratchford.
Game two proved much closer, but the Broncs won two to one. Marist hit better with 10 hits, but only one run to show for it, leaving 11 runners on base. Senior right-hander Chris Ubner and junior right-hander Caleb Kempler allowed two earned runs, but the Red Foxes did not capitalize on their efforts.
Rider took the lead in the seventh inning with a sacrifice fly from junior infielder Will Gallagher that put the Broncs up by a run, and MAAC saves leader Zach Silfies shut down Marist for the final three innings.
Game three shaped up to be more of the same, with Rider’s pitching dominating the Red Foxes’ lineup as junior righty Clayton Poiley pitched eight innings, surrendering only one run on a homer from redshirt freshman catcher Scott Esposito in the eighth inning. The Broncs scored five runs, taking advantage of fielding mishaps from Marist. Their three-spot in the seventh inning came thanks to Hartmann and redshirt sophomore outfielder Kyle Neri.
Down 5-1 going into the ninth inning, all hope looked lost for the Red Foxes when sophomore righty Jake Dorety came in to relieve Poiley, but Dorety loaded the bases by letting up a single to freshman infielder Luke Monico, walked sophomore outfielder Lewis Rodriguez, and allowed another single to junior infielder Brady Steinert. Poley then hit Esposito with a pitch to bring a run home, and freshman infielder Noel Rivera drove in two more to cut the lead to one.
Rider head coach Lee Lipinski called Silfies in once again with runners on, but he conceded a run after graduate student outfielder Jason Claiborn reached on a fielder’s choice and scored senior pitcher Chris Ubner. The Red Foxes found a way to force extra innings.
The Broncs struck again in the 12th inning, adding four more runs with a two-run single by freshman first baseman Charley Magoulick and a two-run triple from junior infielder Will Gallagher. Silfies again shut the door on Marist to seal the game for the Broncs.
“We showed up, we woke up and had that ‘no one makes an out’ mentality,” said Rachtford, “it was gritty, but we need a little more grit to finish games like these.”
The Red Foxes are back in action on Tuesday at UAlbany and then gear up for a tough series against Fairfield, the first-place team in the MAAC, back at McCann Baseball Field.
Edited by Marley Pope
Graphic by Gavin Hard; Photo from Cassidy Connors
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