LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ –
John Volpe (Sea Girt, NJ/Wall) recorded five hits on the day, including a 4-for-4 effort in Game 2 as the Rider University baseball team split with Quinnipiac Saturday afternoon to take 3-of-4 in the series. With the split, Rider moves to 6-2, while the Bobcats are now 2-6. Rider won a wild, back-and-forth Game 1, 12-6, before falling in Game 2, 8-5.
Kyle Johnson (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial) led off the bottom of the first of Game 1 with a home run to left and Rider tacked on another to lead 2-0 after one. Quinnipiac answered back with a pair of runs in the top of the second to tie the game, before Rider responded with three more in the second, including Johnson's second RBI in as many innings on a double. The Bobcats tied the game in the top of the third on a two-run home run and a bases-loaded walk.
Lou Priolo's (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern) sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third scored
Luke Lesch (Gloucester Township, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) to give Rider a 6-5 lead, before Quinnipiac again tied the score in the top of the fourth on an infield single. Finally, the Broncs scored three times in both the fifth and sixth innings and Quinnipiac didn't have the answer.
Jake Barbiere (Stratford, NJ/Sterling) delivered the go-ahead base hit, scoring
David Bermudez (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick).
Sean McGeehan (Hamilton, NJ/Nottingham) added a two-run single in the frame to make it 9-6. In the bottom of the sixth, Priolo added an RBI single and Johnson contributed a two-run single to push the Broncs' lead to 12-6.
Cal Stalzer (West Des Moines, IA/Valley) got the final four outs to record the save, preserving the win for
Danny Kirwin (Lansdale, PA/North Penn), who went 2.1 scoreless innings of relief.
Quinnipiac struck first in Game 2 for two in the top of the second, before Rider responded with three in the bottom of the frame. A
Socrates Bardatsos (Ridgefield, NJ/St. Joseph's Regional) walk and consecutive singles from Lesch and
Scott Shaw (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill High School West) loaded the bases with no one out. Bermudez pushed a run across with a fielder's choice, before another scored on a double steal. A third run scored on Volpe's infield single.
Shaw's two-run single in the third scored McGeehan and Barbiere to make it 5-2 Rider after three. The Bobcats got a run back in the top of the fourth and scored four runs in the top of the sixth to retake a 7-5 lead. Quinnipiac scored the first two runs of the four-run sixth on consecutive squeeze plays, before adding a pair of RBI singles. The Bobcats added another insurance run in the top of the ninth on a solo home run from Michael Kohn. The Broncs brought the tying run to the plate with one out in the ninth, but Bobcats reliever Jimmy Hagan worked out of trouble to secure the Quinnipiac victory.
Notes
- Kirwin pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless relief to earn the victory in Game 1. He allowed just two hits and recorded a strikeout.
- Stalzer earned the save with 1.1 innings of one-hit ball. He struck out two.
- Game 1 starter
Frank Doelling (Riverside, NJ/Riverside) departed after 2.1 innings.
- Game 2 starter
Kenny Quijano (Teaneck, NJ/St. Mary's) took the loss, allowing seven runs, four earned, on eight hits and three walks. He struck out four.
- The Broncs return to action Friday, when they begin a four-game set at Manhattan. Friday and Saturday's doubleheaders from Riverdale, NY, are set to begin at noon.
Broncs by the Numbers
- Volpe led the Broncs with five hits on the day, while scoring drive and driving in two.
- Priolo, Lesch, Johnson and Barbiere also had three hits apiece.
- Johnson's four RBI's were a team-best, while Volpe, Shaw, Priolo, Barbiere and McGeehan each drove in two.
- Priolo, Lesch and Bermudez each scored three runs, with Volpe, Johnson and McGeehan scoring twice each.
- Lesch and Bermudez each stole two bases, while Shaw, Johnson, Barbiere and McGeehan had one stolen base apiece.
- With the 8-for-8 day on stolen-base attempts, the Broncs are now 17-for-17 on the year.
