QUEENS, NY– The Rider University Baseball team scored seven runs in the last three innings however their comeback came up just short, falling to St John's 10-9 on Saturday afternoon. With the loss, Rider moves to 2-12, and St John's moves to 12-4 on the year.

The Broncs' offense struggled early going down 2-0 after the second inning. However, the bats would come alive in the third with a pair of runs scoring for Rider. After two quick outs in the frame, Kyle Neri (Williamstown, N.J./St. Augustine Prep|Bryant) ignited the Rider offense with a two-out double to right field. Two batters later, Anthony Paskell (Solon, OH/Saint Ignatius) powered a triple to left center, scoring Neri and Matt Leahy (Woolwich, NJ Gloucester Catholic) tying the game at two a piece. 

St John's, however, retook the lead with a run in the bottom of the third and would extend their lead with a pair of three-run innings in the fifth and sixth to go ahead 9-2.

The Broncs started to battle back with a pair of runs in the seventh inning from Leahy and Joe Tiroly (Yardley, PA/Pennsbury). Brian Skettini (Midland Park, NJ/ Ridgewood) drove in Tiroly with his seventh RBI of the year starting off the scoring in the inning with a sacrifice fly. The Broncs went on to load the bases in the frame, scoring Leahy on a walk however the Rider rally would end there in the seventh.

Rider defensively sat down the Red Storm in order in the bottom of the seventh as Christian Coombes (Ontario, Canada/Parkside Collegiate Institute|Saint Peters) kept the game within grasp with his first of three strong innings of work for Rider.

In the eighth, the freshman Tiroly blasted a ball to left field for his first career home run, scoring two runs to cut the lead to 9-6. The Red Storm did respond with a single run in the bottom of the innings to re-extend their lead going into the ninth.

In the final frame, the Broncs' comeback efforts continued as Skettini got on with a walk to start. Luke Lesch (Gloucester Township, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) extended his eight-game hit streak in the biggest of ways one at-bat later scoring Skettini with his seventh double of the year cutting the lead to three. Erich Hartmann (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) added his fifth straight game with a hit scoring Lesch just five pitches later. The Rider scoring would conclude with Neri picking up his second hit of the day driving in Hartmann making it a 10-9 game in the ninth, which would ultimately go final. 

Quotes and Notes
"What a comeback by our guys! To come up short is heartbreaking but we showed some grit. Christian Coombes was excellent out of the pen. He gave a chance to sneak back into the game, which was huge." – Rider Baseball Head Coach Dr. Barry Davis

- Jake Dorety (Burlington, NJ/Burlington TWP) got the start for Rider pitching four innings, and allowing three runs on four hits in the loss. Dorety moves to 0-4 on the season. 
- Christian Coombes pitched three innings allowed two hits and only one earned run in relief.

Broncs by the Numbers
 - Rider had seven hits as Lesch, Leahy, Paskell, Skettini, Hartmann, Tiroly, and Neri each recorded at least one hit in the contest.
- Lesch moved his on-base streak to 14 games and his hit streak to eight games
- Skettini has now scored in seven straight.
- Winsett has driven in a run in six straight games
- Tiroly hit his first career home run with the Broncs in the contest.

Up Next
The Broncs continue their series with St John's on Sunday at 1:00 PM