Baseball: Schaefer's gem guides Raiders to GNAC split with Colby-Sawyer

Story written and posted by Anthony Perry, Rivier University Sports Information Director

(Nashua, N.H.) The Rivier University Baseball team earned a split this afternoon in a Great Northeast Athletic Confernece double-header against visiting Colby-Sawyer College at Harvey Woods Field. The Raiders dropped the opener 8-2 before taking the nightcap, 4-2 to see their record move to 6-20 overall and 1-7 in the conference. The Chargers slide to 4-16, 2-4 against GNAC competition.

Game One: Colby-Sawyer College 8, Rivier University 2 (Final)

Colby-Sawyer plated two runs in the second and four more in the fourth as senior Ryan Glendye (Litchfield, N.H.) came within one hit of a no-hitter to power the Chargers to the 8-2 game one victory.

The lone hit was a hard-hit ball off the bat of Rivier sophomore Frederick Kazalski (Dracut, Mass.) that was able to sneak between the 1st base line and the first baseman. That hit scored the first run for the Raiders and then senior Brandon Thibault (Methuen, Mass.) plated the second run on a sacrifice fly to left.

Freshman Corey Cochran (Salem, N.H.) received the tough loss to move to 2-3 on the season as he pitched six innings allowing seven runs (three earned) on eight hits while striking out three. Sophomore Cameron Way (El Cajon, Calif.) surrendered an earn run in the seventh on one hit to account for all the Rivier pitching.

Glendye earned his first win of 2019 by spinning the complete game one-hitter allowing two unearned runs and struck out three Raiders. Butler went 3-for-4 with two RBI and A.J. Cavossa (Foxborough, Mass.) added three RBI on his 1-for-3 showing at the dish in game one.

Game Two: Rivier University 4, Colby-Sawyer College 2 (Final)

Sophomore Ryan Schaefer (Everett, Mass.) was a workhorse for the Raiders in the nightcap as he carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning to earn his first win of the 2019 campaign. The left-hander battled and grinded out a 6+ inning outing allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits and striking out five. Freshman Brandon Kelly (Lincoln, R.I.) then came in with a 1st & 2nd, nobody out situation and escaped to earn his second career save allowing just one hit.

The Raiders plated two runs in the home half of the first inning off of Colby-Sawyer starter, Unczur. Thibault led off the inning by being hit by the pitch and stole second and was moved over to third on Cochran's sacrifice bunt. Thibault's speed was the factor on the first run of the game as he was able to scamper home and beat the throw on Kazalski's fielder's choice to first. Kazalski then scored on a RBI single by senior Jorge Martinez (Methuen, Mass.).

Rivier then added to the lead in the third inning as Kazalski singled home Cochran and then scored on junior Tyler Jackson (Hyde Park, Mass.) RBI single to left field.

Kazalski finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI. Martinez and Jackson each finished 1-for-3 with a RBI and senior David Pappalardo (Methuen, Mass. ) went 1-for-2 with a walk.

Butler recorded two bunt singles to finish 2-for-3 and Galanti smacked a double in the fifth to break the no-no and finished 1-for-2 with a run scored.
…..
Rivier will return to action on Tuesday afternoon with a non-conference road trip to Dudley, Mass. for a 3:30pm game at Nichols College. Colby-Sawyer will also return to the diamond on Tuesday afternoon as they host Keene State College with a first pitch also scheduled for 3:30pm.