College Baseball

Rider University 3, Quinnipiac University 1

HAMDEN, CT—The Broncs kept their playoff hopes alive by winning the first game of the three-game Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference series at Quinnipiac on Saturday. “We got the first one now we just need to keep on winning,” said Rider head coach Barry Davis.

Rider (15-27, 7-9 MAAC) sophomore Nick Margevicius (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Ignatius) pitched eight innings, striking out nine while allowing just one run one three hits.

“It was a well-pitched game,” Davis said. “We pitched well, played good defense and got some clutch hits.”

It was Margevicius' fourth win of the season and the ninth of his young career. “Today he was about as good as he has been all year,” Davis said.  “He was pretty much in control the entire game.”

In his last 37 innings Margevicius has struck out 39 while allowing just three earned runs.

Rider sophomore Paul Sparano (Ewing, NJ/Ewing) pitched a three-up-three-down ninth inning, striking out two for the save, his fourth. “Paul did his job,” Davis said of his closer.

Rider junior Tyler Kaiser (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown) hit a two-run home run to give Rider a 3-1 lead in the sixth inning. “First pitch, big hit,” Davis said.

 It was Kaiser's fourth home run of the season and fifth of his career.

Junior Lee Lipinski (Glen Arm, MD/Calvert) hit an RBI single to give Rider a 1-0 lead in the first inning. “That was a long single, it hit the fence,” Davis said.

Quinnipiac (17-27, 6-10 MAAC) tied the score at 1-1 in the fourth inning on a single, stolen base, walk, sac bunt and an RBI single.

Rider junior Mike Volaski (Oxnard, CA/Oxnard) had two of Rider's eight hits. “He did well,” Davis said of his third baseman who missed the last game with an ankle injury.  “He looked fine today.”

The second and third games of the series will be played Sunday beginning at 12 noon.

The Broncs won two of three games with Quinnipiac at Rider last season and won the only game played at Quinnipiac in the 2014 rain-shortened series.

Rider and Quinnipiac have only met seven times with Rider winning six.

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