BUFFALO, NY – Frank Doelling (Riverside, NJ/Riverside) went seven strong innings for the win in Game 1 as the Rider University baseball team split with Canisius Monday and took a four-game split against the Griffs. The Broncs move to 13-11, while the Griffs are now 11-9. The Broncs took Game 1, 5-2, before falling in Game 2, 5-4.

In Game 1, the Broncs and Griffs exchanged the first four runs, with both teams scoring in the third, the Broncs scoring in the fourth and Griffs evening the score in the fifth. A walk, a hit-by-pitch and a passed ball gave Rider its first run, while an error and a walk gave the unearned run back to the Griffs in the bottom of the third. A hit-by-pitch, a walk and a single loaded the bases for the Broncs in the fourth, before Sean McGeehan (Hamilton, NJ/Nottingham) drove in the run on fielder's choice. An error and a triple evened the score with another unearned tally in the fifth.

Canisius recorded the first out of the sixth, before Rider got consecutive singles from David Bermudez (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) and John Volpe (Sea Girt, NJ/Wall) to put runners on the corners, before Jordan Erbe's (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South) fielder's choice plated the go-ahead run. McGeehan followed with a two-run home run to give the Broncs a three-run cushion. Doelling closed out the win, retiring nine of the final 10 Canisius batters in the game.

Canisius jumped out to a 3-0 lead in Game 2 with two runs in the first and another in the fourth, before Rider responded with a single tally in the fifth and three more in the sixth to take a 4-3 lead. Lou Priolo (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern) singled in the fifth to score Bermudez, before Jake Barbiere (Stratford, NJ/Sterling), Scott Shaw (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill High School West) and Socrates Bardatsos (Ridgefield, NJ/St. Joseph's Regional) all delivered RBI doubles in the sixth.

The Griffs immediately responded with a Dylan Vincent solo home run to lead off the bottom of the sixth. Following two scoreless frames, Canisius took advantage of a pair of Rider errors in the bottom of the ninth to walk it off. Two two-out singles put runners on the corners, before a ground ball to Barbiere at third for the would-be third out was thrown into the dirt at first. Luke Lesch (Gloucester Township, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) dug it out cleanly, but the first-base umpire ruled that he came off the bag, allowing the winning run to cross.

Quotes & Notes
"We competed all day and that's all you can ask. We'll take the split, learn from it, and move forward." – Rider Head Coach Barry Davis

- Doelling went the distance in Game 1 for the win, allowing two unearned runs on three hits and two walks. He struck out five.
- Joe Papeo (Matawan, NJ/Old Bridge) started Game 2, allowing four runs, three earned, on 10 hits without walking a batter in 6.1 innings pitched. He struck out five.
- Sebastian Williamson (Oley, PA/Oley Valley) pitched 1.2 innings of relief, limiting Canisius to just one hit, while striking out two.
- Cal Stalzer (West Des Moines, IA/Valley) took the tough-luck Game 2 loss, allowing an unearned run on two hits.  
- The Broncs return to action Wednesday, when they welcome Marist for a standalone doubleheader. First pitch of Game 1 is scheduled for noon.

Broncs by the Numbers
- Barbiere led the Broncs' offensive with three hits on the day, including a double and an RBI.
- Volpe added a 2-for-2 effort with a walk in Game 2.
- Nine other Broncs had one hit each.
- McGeehan led the Broncs with three runs scored, three RBI's and a stolen base.
- Bermudez also scored twice.
- Barbiere, Priolo, Erbe and Shaw each scored a run and drove in one.
- Bardatsos also had an RBI.