Siena Baseball completed an impressive series sweep of Rider by capturing both ends of a Saturday afternoon twin bill in New Jersey. The Saints posted a 13-4 rout in the seven-inning game, and emerged 9-8 in a wild finish to the nightcap.
Siena (7-16, 3-3) amassed 29 runs and 32 hits to secure the series sweep of Rider (8-17, 1-5) for the second straight season. The Saints have now won 12 of the past 14 matchups against the Broncs.
Game One: Siena 13, Rider 4 (7)
Freshman shortstop
Devan Kruzinski homered and drove in a season-high six runs out of the leadoff spot to lead Siena to the series-clinching win. The 13 runs scored marked a season-high for the Saints, which also tied a season-high with 13 hits for the fourth time this spring.
Zach Durfee delivered four hits, two runs scored, and a pair of RBI and
Brendan Conley knocked in two to go along with three runs scored to join Kruzinski in headlining the Siena attack.
Kruzinski opened the scoring with a two-run single in the second and punctuated a decisive six-run fifth with a three-run home run to help stake the Saints to a 9-0 lead and put the game out of reach.
Brendan White went the distance on the mound, allowing just one earned run on eight hits while walking three and striking out six over seven innings to secure his first win of the season.
Game Two: Siena 9, Rider 8
Siena rallied with a six-run eight and then survived a five-run ninth by Rider to complete the sweep. The Saints overcame a 3-0 deficit through five innings with a two-run sixth, before taking the lead for good in the eighth.
Conley,
Craig Corliss, and Durfee registered two hits apiece to lead a balanced Siena offense. Corliss knocked in a pair of runs, while
Brian Kelly led the way with three RBI.
The Broncs built a 3-0 lead into the sixth inning, which the Saints chipped away at with an RBI double by Durfee and a run-scoring single from
Matt Hamel in the sixth.
Siena then erupted for six runs in the eighth to claim an 8-3 lead. Corliss hit the go-ahead two-run single, and Kelly punctuated the frame with a bases clearing, three-run double.
The Saints tacked on what proved to be a vital insurance run in the top of the ninth, and then withstood a furious Rider rally in their final at-bat. Richie Tecco capped the five-run frame with an RBI single. But
John Nolan came out of the bullpen with the potential tying run in scoring position and winning run at first and retired Kyle Johnson to end the threat.
Ryan Bellomo allowed one earned run while striking out four over 5.1 innings of relief to earn the win for Siena, while Nolan notched his second save.
The Saints return to action Wednesday for a non-conference matchup at Fordham at 4 p.m. in the Bronx.
