Army Takes Down Rider to Conclude Regular Season

WEST POINT – Army West Point battled the Rider Broncs and the rain Saturday, recovering from an early deficit to win 15-6 and finish the regular season 23-22. After the top of the first inning, the Black Knights outscored Rider 15-1.

The teams waited out a delay of one hour and 46 minutes, due to lightning in the vicinity of West Point. Play was halted in the bottom of the eighth after a leadoff walk at 2:08 p.m., with the game resuming at 3:54 p.m.

With the win, Army gets back to above .500 overall since defeating North Alabama in Game 1 of an opening day doubleheader.

Crooked numbers offensively in the second and sixth innings put Army back into the game and subsequently well in front at Doubleday Field, after the program’s 10 seniors were recognized in the senior day ceremony.

Army answered a five-run Rider top of the first in the bottom of the inning, with a two-out Justin Lehman RBI double down the left field line.

The Black Knights wouldn’t remain behind for long, plating four runs in the the second. Chris Barr plated two on a single, before a passed ball turned error on the catcher scored Barr and Kevin Luke in the same sequence to make it 5-5.

Rider briefly took the lead back in the fourth, but Army went back ahead an inning later on a Thomas Schreck bases-loaded hit by pitch, and a Jack Quinlan run off the bat of Coleson Titus.

The figurative floodgates opened in the sixth, with five runs to make it 12-6 in the home team’s favor. Lehman singled to left to score Ainsworth, Quinlan recorded an RBI groundout, before Delph, Schreck and Titus all recorded RBIs. Schreck’s run driven in the inning was just feet from leaving the yard, before Titus contrasted with an infield single to the pitcher.

After the literal floodgates opened and the play later resumed, Army scored three runs on the back half of the interrupted eighth inning. Luke recorded an RBI ground-rule double before Barr scored two on a double down the left field line.

Firstie Joe Valchar got the start on the mound on senior day, taking a no-decision. Mark Abell gave 3.2 relief innings and collected five strikeouts, before giving way to Trey Ates, who pitched 4.1 scoreless frames, struck out three and claimed the win. Bryce Brownlee pitched the ninth after the weather interruption, allowing no runs.

The Black Knights open postseason play Saturday, May 10 at Navy, for Game 1 of the best-of-three Patriot League Semifinal Series. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.