ORONO, ME- The Rider University baseball fought through a back and fourth battle vs Maine, coming away with a 9-8 victory on Saturday afternoon, securing their fifth-straight series win. With the win, Rider moves to 18-16 on the season and drops Maine to 8-25.
The Broncs started the scoring in the second by loading the bases thanks to a Matt Leahy (Woolwich, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) base hit. However, Rider only saw a single run come in as Anthony Paskell (Solon, OH/Saint Ignatius) scored on a sacrifice fly to start the scoring for both sides. In the bottom of the second Maine responded with a run of their own tying the game at one thanks to a base hit up the middle from Jake Marquez. Rider starter Brian Young (Neptune, NJ/Communication) retired the final batter of the inning swinging to keep the score even at one.
The Black Bears secured runs in back-to-back innings adding a pair in the bottom of the third to take their first lead of the contest. The Broncs did have a big response to the Black Bears multi-run inning which was a three-run frame in the top of the fourth. Rider got a pair of runners on thanks to a fielder's choice play and a base hit from Jack Winsett (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern) which set up the Broncs' first basemen Luke Lesch (Gloucester, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) to give the Broncs the lead with one swing of the bat. Lesch did exactly that, launching a ball to right to give Rider a 4-3 lead in the fourth inning.
Following the Lesch home run, the Black Bears matched it with a solo shot of their own to tie the game at four in the fifth, which sparked a massive three innings for the Broncs to close out the contest.
In the sixth, Rider got a pair of base runners aboard thanks to a fielding error and a walk for Brian Skettini (Midland Park, NJ/Ridgewood) to put a pair in scoring position for the Broncs. Richie Sica (Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo) marked the first of the runs, scoring off a passed ball and Skettini quickly followed on a sac-fly RBI from Lesch.
In the seventh, only one run came in to score however it was a big one as Justin Costanzo (East Greenwich, N.J./Gloucester Catholic|Widener) led off the inning with his second home run of the year to extend Rider's lead to 7-4, but in the bottom of the frame, the Black Bears battled back tying the game at seven thanks to a three-run bases-clearing double from Marquez.
Both teams found runs in the eighth, however it was Rider taking the lead in the inning, plating a pair off a two-run double from Skettini giving Rider a 9-7 lead. The Black Bears cut it to one in the bottom half of the inning as Rider turned to Will Gallagher (Cranford, NJ Cranford) out of the pen to get the final out of the eighth.
Gallagher was stellar in his relief appearance seeing only one base runner in the inning and a third of work helping Rider hold onto the one-run lead to win it 9-8
Quotes and Notes
-" We did enough to win today, we failed to execute at the plate and missed opportunities.
Will Gallagher was excellent out of the pen for the final four outs. We did have some big hits by Lesch and Skettini and the defense was solid." Rider Head Coach Dr Barry Davis
- Jake Dorety (Burlington, NJ/Burlington TWP) got the win going 3.2 innings allowing five runs
- Gallagher got the save pitching 1.1 innings allowing no runs and only one hit.
Broncs by the Numbers
- Rider had nine hits with Lesch, Skettini, Costanzo, Winsett, and Leahy all recording hits in the win.
- Skettini recorded his 175th career hit in the win. He also secured his 14th multi-hit game of the year going 2-for-5 with 2 RBIs in the win.
- Costanzo extends his hit streak to six games.
- Lesch has reached in all 34 games played this year.
Up Next
The Broncs wrap their nonconference series at Maine tomorrow Sunday, April 21st at 12 PM.
