LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Pete Soporowski (Sayreville, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) was stellar once again on the mound in Game 1 and an eight-run sixth inning in Game 2 propelled the Rider University baseball team to a Friday sweep of Preseason MAAC favorite Quinnipiac. The Broncs took Game 1, 2-1, before winning the second game, 8-5.

In Game 1, the Broncs' first two batters reached base safely in the first, with Kyle Johnson (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial) legging out an infield single and Jake Barbiere (Stratford, NJ/Sterling) working a walk. Johnson would later steal third and home to give the Broncs a 1-0 lead after one. Rider tacked on an insurance run in the fifth, with Jordan Erbe (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South) leading off with a hit-by-pitch and Lou Priolo (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern) immediately following with an RBI double to make it 2-0.

Quinnipiac finally touched Soporowski for his first run given up in more than 14 innings pitched this season in the seventh. The Bobcats put the tying and go-ahead runs on base in the inning and followed with a base hit. But Johnson and Barbiere worked a relay to cut down the would-be tying run at the plate for the second out and Soporowski followed with a punchout to seal the victory.

In Game 2, the Bobcats scored three in the first and chased Rider starter Matt Hartshorn (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South) from the game without recording an out in the second and the Broncs trailing, 4-0. Kyle Smith (Stratford, NJ/Sterling) entered with the bases loaded and no outs and limited the Bobcats to a sacrifice fly and a 5-0 lead after one and a half.

Smith would retire six of the seven batters he faced, before handing it over to Jake Andrey (Cherry Hill, NJ/The King's Christian School) for three one-hit, scoreless innings, bringing the Broncs' offense to the plate down 5-0 in the bottom of the sixth. Rider responded with an eight-run eruption. After Quinnipiac retired the first Rider batter in the inning, Barbiere tripled and David Bermudez (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) followed with an RBI single. The next three Rider batters walked to chase across two more runs and a fourth scored on a hit-by-pitch. Luke Lesch's (Gloucester Township, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) two-run double gave the Broncs a 6-5 lead and Barbiere added his second hit of the inning, an RBI infield single to make it 7-5 Rider. Two more walks pushed across the eighth Rider run.

The three-run cushion was more than enough support for reliever Joe Papeo (Matawan, NJ/Old Bridge), who limited the Bobcats to one hit in three innings pitched for the save.

Notes
- Soporowski allowed one earned run on seven hits in the full 7.0 innings pitched in Game 1, striking out eight. He moved to 2-0 on the year and now has a 0.60 ERA in 15.0 innings pitched with 17 strikeouts on the young season.
- Smith pitched 2.0 innings of one-hit, scoreless relief to keep Game 2 close.
- Andrey pitched 3.0 innings of one-hit, scoreless relief, striking out three, to earn his first win as a Bronc.
- Papeo also limited the Bobcats to just one hit in three scoreless innings to pick up his second save as a Bronc and his first of the year.
- Rider pitchers issued just two walks on the day, both by Hartshorn, in Game 2.
- The Broncs return to action Saturday, when they close out the series with Quinnipiac with another twinbill. First pitch of Game 1 is scheduled for noon.   
 
Broncs by the Numbers
- Bermudez led the Broncs with a pair of hits on the day and reached safely in 4-of-5 plate appearances, adding a walk and a hit-by-pitch. He drove in a run and scored once.
- Barbiere also went 2-for-5 with a triple, two walks and a hit-by-pitch. He scored once and drove in a run.
- Johnson scored twice for the Broncs and stole a pair of bases. Rider is now 9-for-9 in stolen-base attempts on the year.
- Lesch's two RBI's led the team on the day.