LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Pete Soporowski (Sayreville, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) fired a complete-game, two-hit shutout with nine strikeouts in Game 1 and the Broncs' offensive erupted for 11 runs in Game 2 as the Rider University baseball team swept a season-opening doubleheader from Niagara Saturday at Sonny Pittaro Field. The Broncs won Game 1, 1-0, before taking Game 2, 11-5, to improve to open the season at 2-0.

Scheduled for seven innings, Rider won Game 1, 1-0, in eight innings on a walk-off, bases-loaded walk from Sean McGeehan (Hamilton, NJ/Nottingham). Soporowski allowed both Niagara hits in the fourth, but worked out of trouble by inducing a fielder's choice and getting a strikeout to end the inning. Soporowski didn't allow a Niagara baserunner past second base on the day.

In Game 2, the teams exchanged single runs in the first, with Rider's Kyle Johnson (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial) scoring on McGeehan's sacrifice fly. Niagara retook a 2-1 lead in the second with a hit by pitch, a double and a sacrifice fly. Rider opened the game up with four runs in the bottom of the inning without benefit of a hit. They did their damage on four walks, an error and a hit-by-pitch to take a 5-2 lead.

Niagara got two runs back in the third to cut the Broncs' lead to 5-4, before Rider blew the game open with a five-run bottom of the fourth. Rider made Niagara pay for three errors and got RBI singles from McGeehan, Luke Lesch (Gloucester Township, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) and Alex Diamantis (Staten Island, NY/Saint Peter's Boys). McGeehan's fielder's choice in the fifth plated another Rider run to make it 11-4. Niagara got one run back on an error in the sixth, but could draw no closer.

Notes
- Matt Hartshorn (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South) started Game 2, allowing two earned runs on three hits and a walk in 2.0 innings pitched.
- Joe Papeo (Matawan, NJ/Old Bridge) earned the Game 2 win, pitching 4.0 innings of relief. He allowed three runs, one earned, on three hits and a walk, while striking out nine.
- Frank DelGuercio (Millstone, NJ/The Hun School of Princeton) closed out the win with a scoreless seventh inning, allowing just one hit.
- The Broncs return to action Sunday, when they complete their four-game series with Niagara with another doubleheader. First pitch of Game 1 is scheduled for noon.   
 
Broncs by the Numbers
- Johnson led Rider with two hits and three runs scored. He had a triple and drove in one.
- McGeehan drove in four runs and scored one.
- Tyler Stockwell (La Plata, MD/La Plata High School), Diamantis, McGeehan and Lesch also had one hit each.
- Scott Shaw (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill High School West) and John Volpe (Sea Girt, NJ/Wall) scored twice each.
- Diamantis drove in two, while Johnson and Lesch also contributed one RBI each.
- The Broncs were 3-for-3 on the day in stolen-base attempts, with Johnson, McGeehan and Lesch each swiping a bag.