Lexington, SC – The Rider University baseball team started the 2018 season with a 6-4 victory against Ohio University on Thursday afternoon in a neutral-site clash.

The Broncs (1-0) won their season-opener for the first time since 2013, while the defending MAC Champion Bobcats (0-1) saw their four-game winning streak in season-openers snapped.

Rider broke open a one-run game in the top of the sixth thanks to a two-run double from senior Christian Estevez (River Edge, NJ/River Dell) and an RBI single from classmate Jake Bender (Ellicott City, MD/Marriots Ridge). Bender's run-scoring hit capped the offensive output for the Broncs and gave Rider a 6-2 lead.

Over the final four frames on the mound, four different Rider relievers held off Ohio en route to the Bronc win. Clinging to a 6-4 lead with two runners on and one out in the bottom half of the ninth, freshman Vincent Vitacco (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) got a fly out and struck out a Bobcat to get out of the jam and earn his first collegiate save.  

Freshman Joe Papeo (Matawan, NJ/Old Bridge) got the win for the Broncs after tossing five innings and allowing just two earned runs. He scattered three hits and struck out five Bobcats without surrendering a walk.

NOTES & QUOTES
"I thought we performed as well as one could considering it's our first game. We played consistent, handled some game adversity well and showed some good things. " – Rider Head Coach Barry Davis

"I thought Joe Papeo was excellent on the mound. He battled through five innings with just two runs allowed." – Davis

"We had a few clutch RBI hits and did enough to win against a solid Ohio club. We are back at it tomorrow as we will have our hands full. Pete Soporowski is going to start game one and Zach Gakeler is throwing game two." – Davis  

- Both teams had nine hits.
- The Broncs committed one error and Ohio had four miscues on the day.
- Five of Rider's six runs came in the fifth and sixth frames.
- Two Broncs had multi-hit games.
- Rider had five walks at the plate.

BRONCS BY THE NUMBERS
- Bender led the offensive charge for the Broncs, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs. He had a double and a sac fly on the day.
- Riley Mihalik also went 2-for-4 for Rider with one walk and one run scored. He also had a double.
- Freshman Jake Barbiere went 1-for-3 with two walks and a team-high three runs scored.
- Vitacco struck out two hitters in the ninth to pick up the save.
- Nick Payesko tossed a scoreless inning of relief.
- Anthony Arneth surrendered one unearned run in one inning of work out of the pen.

UP NEXT
Rider and Ohio continue their four-game set with a doubleheader on Saturday, February 17 that is slated to begin at noon.