CONWAY, SC – The Rider University baseball team made just enough plays at just the right time to defeat top-seeded and tenth-ranked Coastal Carolina, 11-10 in 10 innings Friday night. The Broncs improve to 36-19 on the season, while the Chanticleers fall to 39-20.
 
The Broncs struggled early as the Chanticleers opened up a five run lead, scoring one in the first, two in the fourth, and two in the fifth.
 
Rider did not get its first hit of the game until the seventh, but once they did, the floodgates opened. Luke Lesch (Gloucester Twp., NJ/Gloucester Catholic) and Brendan O'Donnell (Malvern, PA/Great Valley) drew back-to-back walks to open the inning. Socrates Bardatsos (Ridgefield, NJ/St. Joseph's Regional) then singled to load the bases. Jack Winsett (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern Regional) got the Broncs on the board with a two-run single. After Coastal went to the pen, Jordan Erbe (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South[UMass]) and Erich Hartmann (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) hit back-to-back doubles that tied the game 5-5. John Volpe (Sea Girt, NJ/Wall) then singled to put runners on the corners with still no outs. Scott Shaw (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West) singled back up the middle to give Rider its first lead of the game. Brian Skettini (Midland Park, NJ/Ridgewood) followed with a single of his own that stretched the lead to 7-5. With two away, Bardatsos drew a walk to load the bases and Winsett delivered a two-run single for the second time in the inning, putting Rider up 9-5.
 
Coastal Carolina did not go away quietly, tying the game with a two-run homer in the seventh, an RBI-single in the eighth, and a sacrifice fly in the ninth.
 
The Broncs maintained their composure in extra innings. Erbe led off the tenth with a walk. Richie Sica (Wycoff, NJ/Ramapo) executed the sacrifice bunt to move Erbe into scoring position, where Volpe delivered a single to score Erbe. With two away, Skettini singled back up the middle to score Volpe, and put Rider up 11-9.
 
The Broncs allowed a run in the bottom of the tenth and coastal loaded the bases with two outs. A shallow fly to center would have easily scored two runs to walk-off the game for the Chanticleers, but Sica made a diving catch for the final out to secure the victory.
 
Quotes & Notes
"Hitting is contagious. We started to swing the bat at put things together. It's one of those baseball things and we've been able to do it multiple times this year. The final play of the game was the best of the night."
 
"To beat a team the quality of Coastal Carolina, I'm very proud to compete against a team that is that well coached. You put your best guy out in those situations. Typically you're going to win it or lose it with your best guy." – Head Coach Dr. Barry Davis
 
"At the beginning of the season, coach brought all the seniors in and talked about this is a team that can [set the program win record]. Getting it today is incredible and its mission accomplished, but there's still more to go."
 
"We absolutely can win a regional. We came in here saying that this team can win a regional. Just one step at a time, one game at a time, one pitch at a time, one out at a time." – Graduate Pitcher Danny Kirwin
 
"As a team all year, we've been streaky hitting. Once the first hit happened, coach said the rest are going to come. We stuck to the plan and didn't abandon ship."
 
"We had a flash back. They played, 'Pump it Up'. It's the song they play at La. Tech when they hit a home run. They played it today in the ninth, and we all looked at each other and started laughing, because the last time we heard that song we were losing 16-0. But that really prepared us to be in those spots." – Senior Infielder John Volpe


- Frank Doelling (Riverside, NJ/Riverside [Rowan College at Burlington County]) got the start, going 3.2 innings and allowing three runs on five hits. He struck out two.
- PJ Craig (Barnegat, NJ/Barnegat) fired the next 2.1 innings, giving up two runs on three hits. He struck out one.
- Alec Sachais (Egg Harbor Twp., NJ/Holy Spirit) tossed 0.1 innings, allowing two runs on two hits. He struck out one.
- Danny Kirwin (Lansdale, PA/North Penn) threw the final 3.2 innings, giving up three runs, two earned, on four hits. He struck out three to earn the win.
- Volpe extended his reached-base streak to 21-straight games.
- The win is the first in the NCAA Tournament since the 1987 season, when Rider won three games and was just one win away from reaching the College World Series. The Broncs reached the College World Series in 1967.
- The win is Rider's second over a ranked program this season after previously topping then no. 6/10 Duke.
- Rider ties the 2010 team with 36 wins, the most in program history.
- The Broncs are the fourth four-seed in the current regional format to score nine runs in one inning.
 
Broncs by the Numbers
- Seven different Rider players recorded a hit on the day, led by three each from Volpe, and Skettini.
- Six Broncs recorded RBIs with Winsett delivering four.
- Rider is now 3-1 in extra-inning games this season.
 
Up Next
The Broncs advance in the winner's bracket and will now face second-seeded Duke at 6 p.m. on Saturday with the winner advancing to the Regional Final.