NO. 4 SIENA RALLIES TO DEFEAT TOP-SEEDED RIDER AND ADVANCE TO MAAC CHAMPIONSHIP
MAAC Sports
TRENTON, N.J. – The Siena University baseball team rallied from a six-run deficit to force extra innings, and then scored three times in the top of the tenth to defeat top-seeded Rider 11-8 in the elimination bracket and advance to the 2013 MAAC Baseball Championship’s title round.
Siena, the No. 4 seed, will face third-seeded Canisius on Sunday at noon for the championship, and the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament that accompanies it, at ARM & HAMMER Park. The last three times the Saints have appeared in the MAAC Championship tournament in Trenton, they have advanced to the championship round (2008, 2011, 2013). Canisius needs just one win to win the MAAC title, while Siena will need to force and win game seven to claim the championship.
“I didn’t do anything – it was these guys. They knew they just wanted to keep on playing,” said Siena’s veteran coach Tony Rossi with a smile after the game.
Trailing 8-7 entering the top of the ninth, Siena first baseman Vincent Citro worked a one-out walk and advanced to second when leftfielder Andres Ortiz laid out a sacrifice bunt. Catcher Larry Balkwill then singled to left to drive Citro in and tie the score at 8-8.
Siena reliever Neil Fryer, who came in for starter Ed Lewicki in the fourth inning and earned the victory by pitching an effective 6.1 frames, shut Rider down in the bottom of the ninth with a 1-2-3 inning to force extra innings.
The Saints opened the decisive 10th with three consecutive doubles. Brian Fay led off the frame with a double, and was replaced by pinch-runner Mike Williams. John Rooney then stroked a two-bagger to left center, scoring Williams and giving Siena the lead for good. Mike Allen’s double down the left field line scored Rooney. Allen eventually scored on a wild pitch to give the Saints their three-run cushion.
Rider was able to get two base runners on in the bottom of the 10th when Justin Thomas doubled, and Greg Fazio was hit by a pitch, but Fryer settled down with a strikeout and two infield pop outs to secure the win for the Saints.
“We knew when we down (7-1) that we still had a lot of time left,” Balkwill said. “We just kept trying to put together good at-bats once we got down.”
Siena took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second when Rooney singled, stole second, and scored on Dave Hoffman’s single.
But Rider struck back with two runs in the bottom of the second, one in the third and four in the fourth to take a commanding 7-1 lead. Rider third baseman Adam Wayman stroked a three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth to give the Broncs’ their large cushion.
Down by six runs, however, Siena refused to buckle. The Saints scored single runs in the fifth and the sixth, before erupting for four runs in the seventh to tie the game at 7-7. The big blow came when Ortiz powered a one-out grand slam homer over the left field wall.
“We just needed to get those runs. It gave our team a little hope,” said Ortiz.
It was a disappointing end for Rider, which came into the Championship as the top seed after winning the MAAC’s regular season title. It was Rider’s first loss in three extra inning game this season. The Broncs finish the year with a 35-22 record.
Fryer earned his first win of the season by scattering six hits over 6.1 innings, allowing just two earned runs.
“I was just trying to keep the game close for our team,” Fryer said. “Our guys played with a lot of heart.”
Siena last won the MAAC Championship in 1999, while Canisius is still seeking its first crown. Either Siena or Canisius has been the runnerup in the last five years.