Flaherty Leads Baseball to 13-7 Win Over Rivier

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Ryan Flaherty (Duxbury, Mass.) homered and drove in six runs to lead the Bridgewater State University baseball team to a 13-7 victory over Rivier University on Tuesday afternoon at The Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach. The game was played at Pelican Stadium, home of the minor league Myrtle Beach Pelicans.

The Bears improve to 2-3 during their trip to Myrtle Beach while the Raiders fall to 2-2.

Bridgewater scored in each of the first five innings including a five-run fourth inning and a three-run fifth.

Flaherty reached safely in all five plate appearances as he went 3-for-3 with his first home run in a BSU uniform, a double, a pair of walks and a stolen base. Flaherty belted a two-run shot over the right-centerfield fence in the third inning, connected for a two-run single in the five-run fourth, and smacked a two-run double to cap off the Bears' scoring in the fifth.

Scott Emerson (Peabody, Mass.) and Kevin Lindsay (East Bridgewater, Mass.) also finished with multiple hits for Bridgewater State. Emerson singled twice and walked in five trips to the plate, stole two bases and scored three runs. Lindsay went 2-for-4 with a pair of stolen bases and two runs scored.

Riley Thornell (Wareham, Mass.) was on base three times as he singled, walked twice, scored three runs, and knocked in one.

The Bears stole eight bases on the afternoon.

Shane Handrahan (Raynham, Mass.) got the start on the mound for the Bears and picked up his first win of the season. Handrahan (1-1) allowed six runs on nine hits over 5 2/3 innings with four walks and eight strikeouts.

CJ Hess (Providence, R.I.) and Blake Samuelson (Millbury, Mass.) pitched well in relief for Bridgewater State. Hess retired all five batters he faced with a pair of strikeouts. Samuelson struck out the side in the ninth.

Ben O'Connell went 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk, two runs and three RBI to highlight the Rivier offense. O'Connell connected for a three-run homer over the left field fence in the top of the second innings which, at the time, staked the Raiders to an early 3-1 lead.

Dylan Aliberti (2-5, R, RBI) and Luis Tejada (2-5, 2B, R) also registered multiple hits for the Raiders. Luis Colon walked three times and was hit by a pitch while Alex Gallicano went 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and two RBI.

Five Rivier pitchers combined to give up 13 runs on nine hits over eight innings with nine walks and seven strikeouts. The Raiders committed five errors on the afternoon as eight of the 13 runs were unearned.

Bridgewater State's trip to The Ripken Experience continues on Wednesday evening as the Bears take on Johnson & Wales University at 6:30.