LEXINGTON, VA – The Rider University baseball team trailed 9-2 after two innings, but fought back, earning an 11-9 victory over VMI Friday night. The Broncs improve to 7-9 with the win, while the Keydets fall to 8-9.
 
The Broncs got on the board early. Jake Barbiere (Randolph, NJ/Randolph) led off the game with a walk. Two batters later, John Volpe (Sea Girt, NJ/Wall) drove in Barbiere with a base hit to left.
 
The lead would be short lived as VMI got back-to-back home runs to open the game, eventually scoring five in the opening frame.
 
Brendan O'Donnell (Malvern, PA/Great Valley) homered in the second, his second-straight game with a second-inning home run.
 
Once again VMI answered with the long ball. The Keydets scored four in the bottom of the second, on the strength of a pair of home runs.
 
From that point, the Broncs began to chip away at the lead, while the Rider bullpen settled in.
 
Barbiere led off the third with a single, followed by a base hit by Jack Winsett (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern Regional). With two outs and runners on second and third, Luke Lesch (Gloucester Township, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) reached on a fielding error that scored both runners.
 
O'Donnell continued his hot day with a leadoff double in the fourth. Barbiere drove home the run with an RBI-double later in the inning, cutting the deficit to 9-5.
 
The Broncs completed the comeback in the fifth. Socrates Bardatsos (Ridgefield, NJ/St. Joseph's Regional) opened the fifth with an infield single, followed by a base knock by Lesch. Alex Diamantis (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's Boys) then drew a walk to load the bases with nobody out. Two batters later, O'Donnell drove home a pair with a single to left. After the Broncs scored thanks to another Keydet error, O'Donnell tagged up and scored on lineout off the bat of Barbiere to tie the game.
 
The game remained tied into the eighth, where Barbiere hit a one-out single. Winsett followed with a two-run homer over the right field fence that would hold up as the game-winner for the Broncs.
 
Quotes & Notes
"We battled offensively all night. Winsett was clutch in eighth with that home run."
 
"Kyle Smith was outstanding on the mound. He gave us a chance to get back into the game."
 
"Overall, a good win for us." – Head Coach Dr. Barry Davis
 
- With the Broncs trailing 9-2 after two innings, Kyle Smith (Stratford, NJ/Sterling) came out of the pen to throw 4.1 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and striking out three while walking none.
- Danny Kirwin (Lansdale, PA/North Penn) followed with 1.2 perfect innings, striking out a pair and earning the victory to improve to 3-0 on the season.
- Cal Stalzer (West Des Moines, IA/Valley[George Washington/Kirkwood CC]) worked around a leadoff single, retiring the next three batters in order for his second save of the season.
- The seven-run comeback is the largest for the Broncs since Apr. 19, 2014, when Rider erased a 7-0 deficit in a 10-9 win over Niagara.
 
Broncs by the Numbers
- Six Broncs recorded hits in the game, led by three each from Barbiere and O'Donnell.
- O'Donnell's home run is his fifth of the season.
 
Up Next
- The Broncs continue the three-game set with VMI on Saturday. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.