Baseball Falls To Rider, 8-2

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SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. Senior Chris Affinito (East Brunswick, N.J.) had an RBI single and freshman Dave Phelan (Wharton, N.J.) hit a two-out pinch-hit RBI double, however it was not enough as Seton Hall baseball fell to Rider, 8-2, Tuesday afternoon at Owen T. Carroll Field. Despite the loss, the Pirates have won five of their last seven games and remain four games over .500.

Mason Heyne got things started in the top of the second inning with his team-leading sixth home run giving the Broncs (9-10) a, 1-0, lead.  After the Hall failed to plate a run with bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the second inning, Rider added two runs to their lead in the top of the third.

With two-outs in the third, A.J. Albee grounded out to second base, which would have ended the inning, however Pirates catcher Frank Esposito (Staten Island, N.Y.) was called for catcher’s interference allowing Albee to reach first base safely.  Next batter, Sean Olson, cracked a two-run double down the left field line for a, 3-0, Rider advantage.

It was all the runs Rider starter, Derek Caldwell (2-2) would need as he tossed 6.2 innings allowing two runs on eight hits while striking out four.

For the Pirates (13-9), senior Matt Smedberg (Rockaway, N.J.), Affinito, and Esposito each had two hits.  Smedberg finished with a run scored as did sophomore A.J. Rusbarsky (Freehold, N.J.), while Affinito and Phelan each had an RBI.

Olson was the top hitter for the Broncs, finishing his day 3-for-5 with a run scored and two RBI.

Freshman Charlie Rivera (Hazlet, N.J.) (0-1) took the loss in his first collegiate start yielding two earned runs on three hits in 3.1 innings of work.  Freshmen Henry Warner (Gladstone, N.J.) and George Fernandez (Union, N.J.), as well as junior Matt Singer (Bayonne, N.J.) combined for 3.2 scoreless relief innings allowing only two hits while striking out three.