(Fort Myers, Fla.) The Rivier University Baseball team earned their first win of the season this evening as they spilt a day-night double-header with Penn State University – New Kensington at the 2018 Gene Cusic Classic in Fort Myers, Florida. The split slides the Raiders' record to 1-3 while PSUNK is now 1-1.
Game One: Rivier University 18, Penn State – New Kensington 6 (FINAL)
The bats came alive in the opening contest for the Raiders as they pounded out 14 hits on their way to an 18-6 victory.
Senior Tyler Ferdinand (Middleboro, Mass.) was the catalyst as he went 4-for-6 with four runs scored and four runs batted in. Sophomore Brendan Sullivan (Manchester, N.H.) chipped in with a 2-for-4, 2 RBI afternoon and freshman Michael Cronan (Hope, R.I.) picked up his first collegiate hit with a 2-for-4 showing. Freshman Frederick Kazalski (Dracut, Mass.) also registered his first career hit, a 2 RBI double to finish 1-for-3 with a pair of walks.
Freshman Zachery Rodrigues (Achunset, Mass.) was spectacular in his debut as he held the Nittany Lions to just two runs over six innings of work. The right-hander also struck out seven batters and issued three free passes.
For Penn State-New Kensington, Noah Oddis picked up the loss on the mound as he gave up four runs over four innings and Dylan Wiley finished 3-for-4 with a RBI.
Game Two: Penn State-New Kensington 13, Rivier University 10 (FINAL)
Trailing by six runs, the Raiders mounted a comeback to take an 8-6 lead but couldn't hold on in the nightcap as they fell 13-10 in a game that produced 21 hits and 10 errors.
Ferdinand once again set the tone as he went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and a RBI. He also recorded his 100th career hit in a Raider uniform with a sharp single in the third inning. Sophomore Eric Maxfield (Lowell, Mass.) knocked home a pair of runs with a 2-for-4 night which produced a RBI triple to right field.
Junior James Magno (Gray, Maine) pitched well in the loss as he surrendered just four earned runs (11 total runs) while striking out three in 4.1 innings of work. Sullivan then finished the game (2.2 innings) giving up two runs on five hits while retiring two by way of the K.
PSUNK's Justin Lindeman threw a complete game allowing 10 runs, six earned, on 8 hits in his first career start. Shane Molyneaux went 3-for-4 with a RBI and Jake Stackiewicz was a torn in the Raiders side all night as he finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a RBI.
…..
Rivier will continue to play games in Fort Myers as they will enjoy a day off tomorrow before squaring off against Bluffton University on Wednesday morning at 9am.
