CHARLESTON, SC – The Rider University baseball team opened the 2020 season on Saturday with a pair of games at Charleston Southern.
 
The Broncs (2-0) took both games versus the Buccaneers (0-3) thanks to winning the opener, 5-1, and the nightcap, 6-4, in 12 innings.
 
GAME ONE
Pete Soporowski (Sayreville, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) tossed six and a third innings of one-run ball and David Bermudez (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) went 2-for-2 with three RBIs as the Broncs won their season opener at Charleston Southern.
 
Kyle Johnson (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial) got the Broncs on the board with a two-out RBI single in the third and an inning later Bermudez stretched the Rider lead to 2-0 with a sac fly.
 
Bermudez broke the game open in the top of the eight with a two-run single to give Rider a 5-1 edge.
 
GAME TWO
The Broncs erased a three-run deficit with a three runs in the top of the sixth. In the inning, Rider got on the board courtesy of two-run single from freshman Scott Shaw (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill HS West).
 
Neither team was able to break through until the 13th. In that frame, pinch runner John Volpe (Sea Grit, NJ/Wall High School) scored on a wild pitch before Joe Simone (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Hills) gave the guests some breathing room with a two-run single.
 
On the mound, Vincent Vitacco (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) worked the final three and two-thirds innings to earn the win. He struck out nine hitters and issued just one walk.
 
QUOTES
"We played a lot of baseball today. It was a long day. Our pitching was solid, but the defense was shaky at times. We did enough offensively. We left 24 runners on base and are lucky that didn't come back to bite us. Two wins are nice." – Rider Head Coach Barry Davis
 
BRONCS BY THE NUMBERS
- This is the first time the Broncs have opened a season 2-0 since 2010, when they won their first four games.
- Soporowski recorded a quality start for the Broncs. He went 6.1 innings and struck out four batters without issuing a walk. He scattered seven hits and tossed 84 pitches in his first start back from injury.
- The Bronc bullpen worked 10 and a third innings of work and surrendered just one earned run on the day.
- In the opener, Joe Papeo and Kyle Smith combined to toss two and two thirds scoreless innings.  
- Sebastian Williamson, Luke Lesch and David Bermudez each had two hits apiece in game one.
- Freshman Dylan Heine pitched three scoreless innings out of the bullpen in game two.
- Williamson, Jake Barbiere and Tyler Stockwell all had two hits apiece in game two.
 
UP NEXT
The Broncs and Buccaneers close out a three-game set on Sunday, February 16. First pitch is slated for 1:00 pm with freshman Kenny Quijano slated to get the start on the bump for Rider.