HAMDEN, CT – The Rider University baseball team closed out the 2018 season by splitting a doubleheader with Quinnipiac on Friday afternoon in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) action at the QU Baseball Field. The Bobcats held off a late Rider rally to take the opener, 4-1, and the Broncs offense erupted for 14-8 triumph in the finale.

The Bobcats (25-28, 16-8 MAAC) clinched a spot in the upcoming MAAC Tournament, while the Broncs (12-35, 7-16 MAAC) snapped a 10-game skid with a win in the nightcap.

In game one, Quinnipiac scored a single run in each of the first two innings to build an early edge and chase Rider starter Pete Soporowski (South Amboy, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial). In relief, Bronc freshman Joe Papeo (Matawan, NJ/Old Bridge) kept Rider in it. Papeo tossed the final six innings and scattered seven hits while surrendering a pair of earned runs.  

Trailing 4-0 in the bottom of the seventh, the first two Broncs reached base thanks to back-to-back singles from Jake Bender (Ellicott City, MD/Marriots Ridge) and Kyle Johnson (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial) to put runners on the corners. Senior Harrison McClure (Atlanta, GA/North Atlanta) followed with an RBI single to center to cut the deficit to three. Following McClure's hit, Quinnipiac hurler Tyler Poulin retired the three batters he faced to finish off the complete game.

In game two, the Rider offense exploded for 15 hits and junior southpaw Jordan Silverman (Holland, PA/Council Rock HS South) tossed eight and a third innings to lead Rider to the come-from-behind win.

Quinnipiac once again opened the scoring with a four-run outburst in the top of the fourth. The Broncs quickly answered with a seven-run surge of their own in the bottom half. In the frame, both Bender and Johnson hit two-run homers.

The Rider offense was not done as the Broncs added two runs in the fifth and five more insurance runs in the sixth. In the fifth inning, senior Christian Estevez (River Edge, NJ/River Dell) smacked an RBI single to right field and would later come around to score after stealing third and advancing on a Bobcat throwing error.

The Broncs capped their scoring on the day and the season in the sixth. In the stanza, Riley Mihalik (Churchville, PA/Chestnut Hill Academy) and Richie Tecco (Drexel Hill, PA/Monsignor Bonner) each had RBI singles while Estevez had a two-run single and Joe Simone (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Hills) added a sac fly.

NOTES & QUOTES
"Jordan Silverman was outstanding today. He gave us a chance to win. He kept a good hitting team off balance for the most part. Johnson's two-run homer got the rally started for us in the fourth. We swung the bat well today." - Rider Head Coach Barry Davis

"We had an excellent group of seniors. They were all team players and committed to the good of the team. They will be missed." - Davis

- The Broncs had seven hits and did not commit an error in game two.
- It was Rider's 13th game in 2018 without a fielding miscue.
- Rider had 16 hits and committed one error in game two.
- The 16 hits were the second most in a game for the Broncs this year. The team has racked up 15 or more hits in a game five times.
- The Broncs have hit a home run in five of their last six games.
- Three different Broncs had three hits apiece in the finale.  

BRONCS BY THE NUMBERS
- Johnson homered for the second straight day after hitting a three-run bomb yesterday. He went 1-for-3 in the opener and 2-for-4 with a walk, a homer, three runs scored and two RBIs in game two. He finishes his sophomore campaign with 99 career hits.
- Papeo's outing in game one was tied for his longest as a Bronc. It was his longest stint out of the bullpen in 2018 as well. He has tossed over five innings six times this spring.
- Tecco, Mihalik and Estevez all had three hits in game. Mihalik went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI, Estevez went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs and Tecco had three hits to go along with a run scored and two RBIs.
- Jake Bender also had a multi-hit game in the finale, going 2-for-5 with the homer, two RBIs and two runs scored.    
- Silverman's outing in the finale was the longest of his career. He struck out six Bobcats without surrendering a walk. With the win on the bump, he improved to 2-4.

UP NEXT
The games marked the final collegiate action for the four members of the graduating Class of 2018. Jake Bender, Dallas Clark, Christian Estevez and Harrison McClure laced them up for the final time in a Rider uniform on Friday.