Baseball Defeats Rider Behind Five-Run Fifth Inning

Friday, May 2

West Point, N.Y.

5:00 PM

Army West Point

22-22

Rider

28-13

Rider

Army

Baseball Defeats Rider Behind Five-Run Fifth Inning

May 02, 2025 | Baseball

Box Score

WEST POINT, N.Y. – When it rains, it pours.

A brief downpour opened in the fifth inning Friday evening between Army West Point Baseball and the Rider Broncs. Fortunately for Army, the brief deluge occurred in the bottom of the inning, with the Doubleday Field turf allowing play to continue without an interruption.

The Black Knights induced eight free passes in the frame, four via the walk and four hit-by-pitches. Five runners crossed the plate, without a hit being recorded. Rider's relivers combined for 16 consecutive pitches without a strike at one point in the inning, and two runs scored on wild pitches. Zac Farrell's bases-loaded walk, Coleson Titus' RBI hit-by-pitch, Chris Barr's RBI hit-by-pitch, and runs by Titus and Justin Lehman on wild pitches all came with two outs in the inning.

Army's pitching Friday meanwhile was effective and efficient. Starting pitcher Andrew Berg allowed three runs over five innings but earned the win to move to 5-2 on the season. Robbie Penswick struck out five over 3.1 innings in relief and Kevin Reavey recorded the final out to collect his fifth save of the year, tied with Penswick for the team-high in 2025.

But arguably the single pitching highlight for Army came in the ninth, when senior Parker Massey made his career debut. The second-year team member faced two batters and collected a flyout to left field on a 1-2 count before giving way to Reavey.

The sides traded punches in the first inning, with Berg escaping the opening frame with one run allowed and two runners stranded. But Army soon took the lead, after a run scored off the bat of a Jack Quinlan double play groundout, and Lehman poked an opposite field RBI single.

Rider would briefly retake the lead off a two-run homer in the fifth before Army got back in front permanently a half-inning later.

Army moves back to .500 overall with the win, at 22-22.

By the Numbers

10: Berg retired 10 consecutive batters from the first into the fifth inning, recording three perfect frames.

8: Penswick retired each of his first eight batters faced in relief, from the sixth into the eighth inning.

5: Army won despite recording just five hits, to Rider's 10. The five hits were tied for the fewest registered in a win this year, after previously having five on opening day at North Alabama February 14 and at Holy Cross April 4, with the latter in seven innings on the front end of a twin bill.

15: The Black Knights drew 15 total free passes Friday, with seven coming by walk and eight by hit-by-pitch, and with the eight hit-by-pitches representing a season-high. Each walk was taken by a different batter. Quinlan and Titus, the only starting position players to not record a walk, each had two hit-by-pitches.

0: For the third time this year, Army's pitchers did not issue a walk, and for the first time in 2025, the Black Knights issued both zero walks and zero hit-by-pitches.

2-for-3: Lehman was 2-for-3 at the plate Friday.

Black Knight Notes

Army sent 10 batters to the plate in the fifth, the 12^th time the team has sent nine or more batters to the plate and the ninth time it has sent 10 or more in an inning.

The Black Knights recorded more runs (seven) than hits (five) in a game for the fourth time this season. They are 3-1 in those contests.

Army played error-free baseball for the 16^th time in 2025.

Next Up

Army finishes the regular season Saturday vs. Rider, with an 11:00 a.m. first pitch and the senior day ceremony before the game.

Follow the Black Knights

Follow Army Baseball on X @ArmyWP_Baseball and on Instagram @armywp_baseball. Fans can also like Army West Point Athletics on Facebook and learn more about baseball and other programs at goarmywestpoint.com.