May 26, 2011
Final Stats | Photo Gallery 
Siena made all the big plays Thursday night, and the result was a 6-3 triumph over defending MAAC Champion and host Rider on the first day of play in the conference championships at Waterfront Park in Trenton, N.J. The Saints advance to play top-seed Manhattan in the winner's bracket Friday night at 7 p.m.
Two late additions to the Siena lineup paid huge dividends Thursday. Designated hitter Kyle Baldani returned from injury to post his first three-hit game of the season, finishing 3-for-3 with RBI singles in the second and third that staked the Saints to an early 4-0 lead.
Rider cut the lead to 4-3 with a run in the fourth and two in the fifth, and with Siena ace Kyle Sumple finished for the day, it seemed the Broncs had all the momentum.
Veteran head coach Tony Rossi turned to freshman Neil Fryer in the sixth, and Fryer responded in a big way. He held the Broncs scoreless in their final four at bats, earning his second save of the season, but it didn't come without its share of trepidation.
Siena led 5-3 with two outs in the eighth when John Ralston launched a ball deep into the left field corner. Kyle Hudson, who got a spot start in left field, turned on the jets and made a highlight-reel grab, snagging the ball with a desperate leap as he collided with the left field fence. It was the play of the season for the streaking Saints.
Two-time MAAC Player of the Year Dan Paolini made things a bit easier for Fryer in the ninth, blasting his 55th career home run on an 0-2 count with two outs.
The Saints got the job done against two of the top pitchers in the conference. They scored five times against MAAC First Team selection Mike Thomas, and touched up MAAC Relief Pitcher of the Year Tyler Smith for a run on Paolini's shot in the ninth.
Sumple worked the requisite five innings, and Rider never pulled even, so he picked up his fourth victory of the season. It was a gutsy effort for the senior, who didn't have his best stuff, but worked out of trouble on more than one occasion.
Siena has won First Round games in three straight Tournament appearances, riding the left arm of John Lannan to a 5-0 victory over Manhattan in 2005, and a torrid offensive day to a 24-3 win over the Jaspers in 2008. They hope history doesn't repeat itself however, as they stumbled in their second game on both occasions.
