SACRAMENTO, CA – Junior pitcher Pete Soporowski (Sayreville, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) turned in another gem on the mound for the Rider University baseball team, but it was not enough as the Broncs fell to Sacramento State, 5-4, on Friday evening at John Smith Field.

Soporowski tossed six innings and allowed three runs (just one of which was earned) and struck out a career-high 11 hitters without surrendering a walk. He scattered three hits in his second straight no-decision.

Rider (5-10) dropped their second straight game in which they held a lead, while the Hornets (10-7) won their sixth game in a row.

The Broncs opened the scoring in the top of the first with a three-run outburst. Junior Sebastian Williamson (Oley, PA/Oley Valley) got Rider on the board with a two-out, two-run double down the left-field line. A batter later, freshman David Bermudez (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) stretched the Bronc edge to 3-0 with an RBI single to left.

In the top of third, the Rider lead would swell to 4-0 thanks to an RBI ground out from Bermudez.

Sacramento State got here runs back in the third inning thanks to plating a pair of run on a Rider throwing error. In the seventh inning, the Hornets tied the game at four on an infield single and scored the eventual game-winning run on a passed ball.

In relief, freshman hurler Danny Kirwin (Lansdale, PA/North Penn) was saddled with the loss. In one inning of work, Kirwin surrendered two earned runs and scattered two hits.

NOTES & QUOTES
"Pete was a good as it gets. He struck out 11 guys and did not walk anyone. He gave up just one earned run and deserved to win. We need to close innings and bridge the game to our closer and garner a few more hits in RBI situations. We are playing very well and competing. We will get after it tomorrow against a very good Sacramento team." – Rider Head Coach Barry Davis

- Rider is outscoring opponents, 11-4, in the first inning this season.
- Soporowski retired the first eight batters he faced. He had four innings in which he set the side down in order. On the season, he has struck out 37 hitters and walked just three. He has allowed one earned run or fewer in four of his five starts this season.
- Sebastian Williamson went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, one run scored and one double. It was his second multi-RBI game this year and his fifth multi-hit game.
- Bermudez stretched his hitting streak to five games. He has recorded an RBI in three games in a row. The two RBIs were a season and career-high for him.
- Kyle Smith worked a scoreless inning of relief out of the bullpen. He struck out one hitter and issued one walk in the eighth.

UP NEXT
Rider and Sacramento State continue a three-game weekend set on Saturday, March 16, with a single, nine-inning contest that is slated to begin at 6:00 pm (EST).