LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – The Rider University baseball team fell at home to visiting Siena, 7-2, on Friday afternoon in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play at Sonny Pittaro Field.

The Broncs (8-15, 1-3 MAAC) dropped their third straight conference contest, while the Saints (5-16, 1-3 MAAC) picked up their first league victory of the spring.

Siena broke open a one-run game with a four-run outburst in the top of the sixth. A half inning after Rider cut the deficit to just one at 3-2, the Saints took advantage of three hits, two walks and one hit batter to produce four runs and pull away.

The Broncs never threatened over the final three innings.

Offensively, Mike Ionta (Westfield, NJ/Westfield) paced the Rider attack going 2-for-2 with an RBI. At the top of the order, Kyle Johnson (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial) went 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored.

On the mound, Joe Papeo (Matawan, NJ/Old Bridge) got the start for Rider and was saddled with the loss. Papeo worked two and two-thirds innings and surrendered two earned runs. He walked three batters and scattered three hits.

NOTES & QUOTES
"Right from the first inning with had missed opportunities. That set the tone for the offense. We struggled today to put consistent at-bats together, but the game was lost because we didn't throw strikes. Even when we got out of innings it was like we were hanging on. It eventually caught up to us in the sixth inning. We need come back out tomorrow and put an entire game together not just an inning." – Rider Head Coach Barry Davis

- Out of the bullpen, Liam Harding tossed three scoreless innings. He struck out two Saints and scattered one hit without issuing a walk.
- Andrew Imperatore worked a scoreless one-third of an inning in relief.
- Kyle Johnson hit his team-leading ninth double of the season. He also scored two or more runs in a game for the second time this spring.
- Ionta registered his third straight multi-hit game. It was his sixth game with two or more hits in 2019. He is in the midst of seven-game hitting streak.

UP NEXT
Rider and Siena conclude a three-game weekend series on Saturday, March 31, with a doubleheader that is slated to begin at noon on campus. The first game on Saturday is scheduled for seven innings and game two will be a nine-inning contest.