SHELBY, NC – The Rider University baseball team slugged 19 hits in a dominant 17-2 victory over Gardner-Webb Sunday to close its first series of the season. The Broncs improve to 3-1 on the season, while the Bulldogs fall to 1-3.
 
The Broncs got on the board early, John Volpe (Sea Girt, NJ/Wall) opened the game with a leadoff walk. Scott Shaw (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West) followed with a single to right. With one out, Brendan O'Donnell (Malvern, PA/Great Valley) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. With two outs and the bases still loaded, Brian Skettini (Midland Park, NJ/Ridgewood) cleared the bases with a double.
 
Rider tacked on more in the third. Socrates Bardatsos (Ridgefield, NJ/St. Joseph's Regional) opened the inning with a single. With one out, Luke Lesch (Gloucester Township, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) hit a home run to right to extend the lead to 5-0.
 
In the fourth, the Bulldogs got on the board with back-to-back doubles to plate one. An RBI groundout would close the gap to 5-2.
 
Rider would break the game open in the fifth. Lesch drew a leadoff walk to start the inning. Then Skettini, Jack Winsett (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern), a pinch-hitting Brady Plunkett (Hamilton, NJ/Steinert[Rowan CC at Burlington]), Jordan Erbe (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South[UMass]), Volpe, and Shaw hit six-straight singles to score four runs and load the bases with no outs. Bardatsos followed with a bases loaded walk that made it a five-run inning. A run-scoring fielder's choice and a sacrifice fly made it a seven-run inning and extended the lead to 12-2.
 
Bardatsos led off the top of the seventh with a home run that made it 13-2.
 
The Broncs continued to add on in the eighth. Erbe opened the inning with an infield single. With one out, Shaw hit a double to left. Bardatsos plated a run with a single to center. O'Donnell drove in a run with a double to left. Lesch then plated a pair with a single back up the middle.
 
Quotes & Notes
"The team played well today. Key hits in key situations and we had three big innings."

"Brian and Alec got us through the sixth, which is what we needed. Got a chance to play a few guys also. All in all it was a productive weekend." - Head Coach Dr. Barry Davis

- Brian Young (Neptune, NJ/Communication) got the start, allowing two runs on seven hits in 3.2 innings. He struck out two and walked one.
- Alec Sachais (Egg Harbor Township, NJ/Holy Spirit) was the first out of the pen, throwing 2.1 perfect innings and striking out three.
- PJ Craig (Barnegat, NJ/Barnegat) threw a scoreless inning in his collegiate debut, striking out two and walking one without allowing a hit.
- Colby McNeely (Milmont Park, PA/The Haverford School) tossed a no-hit inning in his first collegiate action. He struck out one and walked one.
- Jared Greenzang (Titusville, NJ/Hopewell Valley Central) saw his first action in a Rider uniform, throwing a scoreless ninth, allowing a single hit and striking out one.
- Erich Hartmann (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) made his Rider debut as a pinch hitter.
- Anthony Paskell (Solon, OH/Saint Ignatius) made his collegiate debut, taking over in center field as a defensive replacement.
- Will Gallagher (Cranford, NJ/Cranford) made his first collegiate appearance, scoring as a pinch runner.
- Chase Fischer (Ringoes, NJ/Hunterdon Central) saw action at first base in his first collegiate appearance.
- The 19 hits by the Broncs are the most by the team in a game since hitting 21 against Saint Peter's in April of 2018.    
 
Broncs by the Numbers
- All nine spots in the Rider lineup recorded a hit, led by a 4-for-5 game by Bardatsos.
- Four Broncs recorded multiple RBIs led by five from Lesch.
- Lesch and Bardatsos' home runs were both their first of the season.
- Volpe and Bardatsos have each recorded at least one hit in all four games this season.
 
Up Next
The Broncs will be back on the road Friday when Rider visits Oklahoma. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.