WALDORF, Md. – The Gallaudet University baseball team fell to Rivier University, 4-2, here Saturday night at Regency Furniture Stadium, home of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, in a non-conference game.

Rivier (4-5), the home team of this neutral site game, scored the final three runs after Gallaudet (1-10) took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh. Sophomore starting pitcher Ian Evans (Murphy, N.C.) gave a strong effort for the Bison as he went 7.2 innings before being lifted in the eighth after 135 pitches. Evans (0-2) gave up four runs on 11 hits, walked three and struck out six.

Raider shortstop Taylor Black (3-for-4) knotted the game at two apiece with a RBI single up the middle in the bottom of the seventh. Black got Rivier on the scoreboard in the fifth with a solo home run over the left field wall.

Jeremy Ball (3-for-4) singled home Mike Scanlon in the two-run seventh as the Raiders led 3-2.

Rivier tacked on an insurance run in the eighth as centerfielder David Cusack doubled home J.J. Montello with two outs. That hit ended Evans' outing as junior Albert Blake (Derby, Conn.) came in from the bullpen and struck out Scanlon to end the inning.

Gallaudet (1-10) took a 1-0 lead in the third inning as sophomore first baseman Justin Strong (Charlotte, N.C.) doubled down the left field line to score junior centerfielder Chase Magsig (Hudsonville, Mich.) from second base.

The Bison left two runners on base in the fifth and sixth innings before scoring their second run in the seventh. Sophomore third baseman Zack Crawford (Newnan, Ga.) hit a double to the opposite field, down the right field line, to plate senior second baseman Mitchell Bensman (Russia, Ohio) and move Strong (4-for-5) from first to third base.

In the eighth, junior designated hitter Brad Stockdill (New Castle, Pa.) singled up the middle and sophomore shortstop Blake Phillips (Dalton, Ga.) walked after a nine-pitch at-bat against relief pitcher Jon Chotkowski (1-0). The Bison had runners on first and second base with one out as catcher Peter LoDuca (Great Neck, N.Y.) stepped to the plate. The left-handed batter popped up to left field for the second out but Stockdill (2-for-3, double) ran on contact and had rounded third base by the time the relay throw went to second base for the double play. GU ran itself out of the inning as the Bison trailed by one, 3-2.

Chotkowski picked up his first win of the season as he logged four innings out of the bullpen. The lefty allowed one run on five hits, walked three and struck out four on 68 pitches. Rivier starting pitcher Edward Soucie went five innings where he allowed one run on three hits, walked three and struck out four.

The game was a great opportunity for both teams to play in a professional baseball stadium and under the lights. Gallaudet head coach Curtis Pride and Rivier head coach Anthony Perry were teammates on the 2008 Southern Maryland Blue Crabs team.

GU returns home to host nationally ranked Frostburg State University on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. The Bobcats (15-2) are ranked No. 14 in the latest American Baseball Coaches Association poll.