LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – The Rider University baseball team got a dominant pitching performance, and just enough offense, to take the rubber game of the three-game series, 4-0, over Canisius Saturday afternoon. The Broncs improve to 24-22 with the victory, including an 11-8 mark in the MAAC. The Golden Griffins are now 23-22 on the year, dropping to 13-8 in league games.  
 
Both offenses were able to get runners on base early, but failed to deliver a run. The Golden Griffins and the Broncs each left two on base in the first. Canisius left one on base in the second, with Rider stranding another pair. In the third, both sides loaded the bases, but still the score remained 0-0.
 
Rider settled in during the fourth. Rider starter Vincent Vitacco (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) retired the side in order. Alex Diamantis (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's Boys) and Jordan Erbe (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South[UMass]) then led off the bottom half with back-to-back walks. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third, Jack Winsett (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern Regional) hit a chopper to third that allowed the run to score on the ground out. Socrates Bardatsos (Ridgefield, NJ/St. Joseph's Regional) followed and drew a walk, and after ball four, the return throw to the pitcher kicked off his glove allowing Erbe to break for the plate, sliding in just ahead of the tag. The Broncs continued the inning with back-to-back singles by Brian Skettini (Midland Park, NJ/Ridgewood) and Luke Lesch (Gloucester Twp., NJ/Gloucester Catholic) that scored Bardatsos.
 
The Broncs tacked on an insurance run in the seventh. Lesch and Jake Barbiere (Randolph, NJ/Randolph) opened the inning with back-to-back walks. After advancing to second and third on a wild pitch with one out, Lesch broke for the plate as part of a squeeze play, pressuring the Canisius pitcher into a balk that allowed the run to score.
 
The Broncs shut down the Golden Griffins the rest of the way to preserve the shutout victory.
 
Quotes & Notes
"You want to win every series you play, and if they don't score you should win. Kudos to Vinny and Kirwin, they pitched really well. We threw strikes, and only walked one guy."
 
"We did enough, we took advantage of some of their mistakes. Our pitching and defense carried us today."
 
"You don't know how you're going to react to your last game, but Vinny certainly pitched like it meant something to him." – Head Coach Dr. Barry Davis
 
- Vitacco got the start for the Broncs on the mound, going six innings and allowing just five hits. He struck out five and walked just one.
- Danny Kirwin (Lansdale, PA/North Penn) came in for the remaining three innings, allowing just one hit. He struck out four and walked none.
- Rider improves to 20-0 when leading after six innings.
- Today is just the second time this season the Golden Griffins, who average over seven runs per game, have been shut out
- Prior to the game, the team honored its graduating senior class, Vitacco, Barbiere, Frank DelGuercio (Millstone, NJ/The Hun School of Princeton), Diamantis, Frank Doelling (Riverside, NJ/Riverside[Rowan College at Burlington County]), Joe Papeo (Matawan, NJ/Old Bridge), Kyle Smith (Stratford, NJ/Sterling), and Cal Stalzer (West Des Moines, IA/Valley[Kirkwood CC/George Washington]).
 
Broncs by the Numbers
- Five Broncs recorded hits in the game, led by two each from Skettini and Lesch.
- Four of the five Bronc pitchers recorded at least one strike out in the game, combining for eight total.
- Skettini has a hit in seven-straight games. Bardatsos has hit safely in six-straight.
 
Up Next
- The Broncs begin their final regular season series of the year with a trip to Saint Peter's beginning Thursday. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 3 p.m.