LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. – The Sacred Heart University baseball team dropped a closely contested game two to Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) opponent, Rider, on Friday afternoon, 12-11, after almost four hours of play.
 
Records
SHU: 18-19 (11-9 MAAC)
Rider: 23-10 (14-5 MAAC)
 
Pitching
Elijah Foster: 2.2 IP, 7 R (7 ER), 8 H, 3 SO
PJ Rogan:3.1 IP, 4 R (3 ER), 5 H, 5 BB, 1 SO
Charlie Costello: 1.1 IP, 0 R
Ryan Redmond (L, 1-2): 1.1 IP, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB
 
Hitting
Gavin Donohue: 4 H, 3 R, 1 RBI
Alex Ungar: 3 H, 3 R, 3 RBI
Peter Link: 3 H, 1 R
Dante D'Amore: 1 H, 4 RBI
 
How it Happened
In a nine-inning thriller filled with four lead changes, 29 combined hits, and 23 total runs, the Pioneers and Broncs went toe-to-toe in a back-and-forth battle that came down to the final inning.
 
The Pios wasted no time getting on the board in the top of the first. Dante D'Amore brought home Gavin Donohue with a sacrifice fly, followed by an RBI single up the middle from Tim McGuire that plated Peter Link. Steak Newman capped off the inning by scoring on a fielder's choice to give Sacred Heart a 3-0 lead.
 
But Rider responded immediately, stringing together four hits to score four runs in the bottom half and take a 4-3 lead.
 
D'Amore came through again in the second, launching a sacrifice fly to center to plate both Alex Ungar and Donohue and put the Pios back in front, 5-4.
 
The Broncs countered in the third, reclaiming the lead with an RBI single and a two-run homer to right field, making it 7-5.
 
The Pioneers chipped away in the fourth. Donohue led off with a base hit, and Ungar narrowly beat out a potential double play to stay on base. After multiple failed pickoff attempts by Rider, Ungar stole second, setting the stage for D'Amore to drive him in with a deep shot to the left field corner. Rider answered with an RBI double in the bottom of the fourth, pushing the lead to 8-6.
 
Solo home runs from Zack Kovalchik in the fifth and Ungar in the sixth knotted the game at 8-8.
 
Rider edged back in front in the bottom of the sixth with a bases-loaded walk.
 
The Pios surged ahead again in the seventh. With two outs, Donohue singled to bring home McGuire. Ungar followed with a clutch two-RBI double, scoring Kovalchik and Donohue to make it 11-9.
 
True to the back-and-forth nature of the game, the Broncs tied it once again in the bottom of the seventh with a fielder's choice and an RBI double.
 
The eighth was the only scoreless frame of the day, sending the game to the ninth tied at 11-11.
 
Rider ultimately walked it off with a sacrifice fly to center, sealing a 12-11 win.
 
Up Next
The Pioneers return to Lawrenceville tomorrow for game three tomorrow at noon.