POMONA, NY – The Rider University baseball team advanced to the MAAC Championship game for a third-straight season, knocking off top-seeded Fairfield, 6-3 Friday afternoon. The Broncs improve to 34-18 on the season, while the Stags drop to 35-17.
 
The Broncs opened the scoring in the second. Socrates Bardatsos (Ridgefield, NJ/St. Joseph's Regional) started the inning with a walk. Two batters later, Jordan Erbe (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South[UMass]) sliced a double the other way. Erich Hartmann (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) then beat out an infield single that allowed Bardatsos to come in to score. A sacrifice fly off the bat of John Volpe (Sea Girt, NJ/Wall) extended the lead to 2-0.
 
Following an unearned run by the Stags in the second, the Broncs immediately responded in the top of the third. Brian Skettini (Midland Park, NJ/Ridgewood) led off the inning with a shot to left field that the Stag outfielder had trouble playing as he made contact with the wall for a double. Luke Lesch (Gloucester Twp., NJ/Gloucester Catholic) singled back up the middle to score Skettini. After Lesch stole second with one out, Bardatsos singled to drive in Lesch, putting Rider up 4-1.
 
After the Rider defense turned a key double play in the bottom of the fifth, Erbe led off the sixth with a single. The senior moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt and third on a ground out. Erbe then got a great read on a pitch in the dirt, scoring when the ball squirted away to make it 5-1.
 
The Broncs defense was key again in the seventh closing out the inning with another double play.
 
Fairfield finally cracked the Broncs in the eighth with a two-run home run from the MAAC Player of the Year, Charlie Pagliarini, but the Broncs settled down and closed out the inning with no further damage.
 
In the ninth, Richie Sica (Wycoff, NJ/Ramapo) and Volpe began the inning with back-to-back doubles, pushing the lead back to 6-3 and producing the final score.
 
Quotes & Notes
"Brian kept his focus. There wasn't a time where he wasn't in control of himself. He didn't make great pitches all the time, but overall he did a hell of a job."
 
"We've been able to consistently put some things together. We have only had that one explosive inning though, and that is what it is going to take to win tomorrow."
– Head Coach Dr. Barry Davis
 
"It's just having confidence as a staff. Coach Petrowski has been calling the right pitches all year and making adjustments for us. It give me the confidence to make my pitches."
 
"We just turn it on when it means more. Playoff Broncs play better." – Sophomore Pitcher Brian Young


- Brian Young (Neptune, NJ/Communication) made the start, going 7.1 innings and allowing three runs, two earned, on seven hits. He struck out four and walked none to earn the win.
- Danny Kirwin (Lansdale, PA/North Penn) came out of the pen and retired all five batters he faced for his NCAA-leading 14^th save of the season.
- Volpe extended his reached-base streak to 18-straight games.
- Rider advances to the MAAC Championship Series for the fifth time under Davis, and is 3-1 in the previous trips (2008, 10, 21, 22). The Broncs won the title in all three of the appearances out of the winner's bracket (2008, 10, 21).
 
Broncs by the Numbers
- Seven different Rider players recorded a hit on the day, led by two each from Skettini, Lesch, and Erbe.
- Four Broncs recorded RBIs with two from Volpe leading the way.
 
Up Next
The Broncs advance to the MAAC Championship Game, Saturday, and will face Fairfield, who survived an elimination game Friday night. Rider will need to win one game while avoiding defeat twice to claim the championship. First pitch Saturday is at noon.