Siena Forces Game 7 with 9-8 Win in 10 Innings
MAAC Sports
Trenton, N.J. ? Third-seeded Siena College (30-25) forced a seventh and deciding game in the 2008 MAAC Baseball Championship with a 9-8 victory in 10 innings over fourth-seeded Rider University (28-26) in Game Six.
Siena made its mark on the scoreboard first with two runs in the bottom of the first inning as Moises Rivera hit a two-run homer to left field.
Rider would not go unheard, posting one run in the top of the second, as Maurice Williams scored after Jon Leise hit into a double play. The Broncs went on to add two more runs to their total in the third, with James Hayes scoring on a sacrifice fly by Sean Olson, followed by a solo home run by Mason Heyne.
The Broncs then scored once more in the fourth, as David Hayes tagged up and raced home when Matt McCollum flied out to right field to give his squad a 4-2 lead. With one out and the bases loaded in the top of the seventh, Heyne walked home to give Rider a 5-2 lead.
Rivera, however, answered the call for Siena in the bottom of the seventh, sending a three-run homer to left center to tie the game at 5-5.
Heyne broke the tie for Rider in the top of the ninth, as he singled up the middle to bring pinch runner A.J. Albee across home plate. But Siena tied it up at 6-6 in the bottom of the ninth as Jacob Willis scored on a single to center field by Rick Seltzer.
With the bases loaded and one out in the top of the 10th, Eric Woodrow scored one more run for Rider as Heyne was hit by a pitch. In the next at-bat, Williams singled to center field to plate Hayes and give the Broncs their final run of the day.
Rivera saved the day once again for the Saints as he tripled to left center, allowing Anthony Giansanti and Chris Klepps to score and earn the extra-innings win.
Ryan King improved to 1-1 with the win, while Hayes was credited with the loss (3-2).