FAIRFIELD, CT – Trailing 5-4 and down to their final five outs, the third-seeded Rider University baseball team rallied for four runs in the eighth on their way to a 9-5 victory over second-seeded Monmouth to open play in the championship round of the MAAC Tournament on Wednesday.
 
Rider (21-16) opened the scoring in the top of the second. With runners on second and third, Luke Lesch (Gloucester Township, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) legged out an infield single to score Brian Skettini (Midland Park, NJ/Ridgewood). Lou Priolo (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern) followed with an RBI groundout to plate David Bermudez (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick). Lesch would then come around to score on a sacrifice fly by Kyle Johnson (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial).
 
Leading 3-2 in the fourth, the Broncs received an RBI single from Sean McGeehan (Hamilton, NJ/Nottingham) to push the lead back to two.
 
In the fifth, Monmouth (24-12) took advantage of a pair of Rider errors to plate three unearned runs and take its first lead of the game.
 
The Broncs loaded the bases in the eighth on a walk, single, and hit batter. A sacrifice fly from Jake Barbiere (Randolph, NJ/Randolph) tied the score. McGeehan then came to the plate, and broke open the game with a two-run double that gave Rider a lead it would not give up. Socrates Bardatsos (Ridgefield, NJ/St. Joseph's Regional) capped the rally with a run-scoring double.
 
 
Quotes & Notes
"I thought we battled from the start."

"A nice win today against a very good Monmouth team."

"Sebastian was outstanding in relief of Pete. Cal was solid closing the game out."
 
"When you hit with two outs and you hit with two strikes in these situations, you win close ballgames and you win big ballgames."

"On to Canisius, who's playing very well." – Rider Head Coach Barry Davis
 
"I feel like we always have a chance as a team."
 
"We've been doing it all year. We've been playing from behind, it's just a matter of picking ourselves up and getting back in the dugout to hit." – Rider shortstop Jordan Erbe
 
- Sebastian Williamson (Oley, PA/Oley Valley) did not allow a run across three innings of relief to earn the victory. He scattered two walks and a hit, while striking out one.
- Cal Stalzer (West Des Moines, IA/Valley) recorded the final four outs to record his fifth save of the season.
- The Broncs advance to face fourth-seeded Canisius in the winner's half of the bracket on Thursday at 3:00 PM. The Golden Griffins defeated top-seeded Fairfield, 4-1, to advance to the game.
- Monmouth now faces Fairfield in an elimination game on Thursday morning at 11:00 AM.
- Monmouth entered the game with a 3.01 team ERA, fourth best nationally. This is just the fourth time the Hawks have allowed nine or more runs this season, another coming in a regular-season meeting against the Broncs.
 
Broncs by the Numbers
- The Broncs scored nine runs on 13 hits.
- The 13 hits are the fifth-most by the team in a single game this season.
- Rider struck out just three times as a team, tied for the fewest in any single game this year.
- Jordan Erbe (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South) led the Broncs with four hits, including an RBI single that provided an insurance run in the top of the ninth.
- Lesch, McGeehan, and Bardatsos each tallied a pair of hits in the victory.
- Seven players drove in a run for Rider, led by three from McGeehan. He now leads the team with 30 RBIs this season.
- Eight separate Broncs scored a run in the game.
- Stalzer's fifth save ties him for the most in the MAAC this season.