FISHKILL, N.Y. -- Rider University, the number two seed, will face #3 Marist in the 2001 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Baseball Championship game at Dutchess Stadium following a 8-5 win over #4 LeMoyne on Friday night.

Rider (27-26) opened up the scoring in the bottom of the third inning as Erinn Pesaresi hit an RBI single down the left field line to bring in Carl Loadenthal. The Broncs took a 2-0 lead when Tim Superka had a sacrifice fly into center field so Rich Brooks could cross home plate. LeMoyne (29-20) cut the Rider lead by one (2-1) in the top of the fourth as Mike Pecchia collected an RBI single. The Dolphins tied it at two all in the fifth as Kyle Brown knocked an RBI double to center field to allow Tom Warner to score.

Rider then took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth as Superka posted a RBI single for Brooks. But LeMoyne pulled ahead in the sixth, as the Dolphins registered three runs on four hits and an error to take a 5-3 lead. The Broncs, however, remained strong and scored five more runs over the next three innings for the 8-5 win. Loadenthal led the Rider offense, going 3-for-4 with three runs and two RBI. Pecchia paced LeMoyne as he went 2-for-4 with one run and two RBI.

Rider's Eric Weiner took the win and improved to 1-2 on the mound, while James Hoey collected his fourth save of the season for the Broncs. LeMoyne's Andy Weimer fell to 3-4 on the year.

The championship game will begin at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 19. If Rider should win that game, a second game will be played at approximately 5:00 p.m. to determine the 2001 MAAC Champion