SOUTH ORANGE, NJ- The Rider University baseball team secured their fifth-straight win, taking down Seton Hall 5-4 on Tuesday afternoon. With the win, Rider moves to 20-16 on the year and Seton Hall falls to 19-21 on the 2024 season.


The Broncs' day started strong when in the first inning, Rider brought home a trio of runs starting with Joe Tiroly (Yardley, PA/Pennsbury) bringing in a pair on a two-run base hit getting on the board first. The Rider hit party continued with AJ Labrusciano (Fredericksburg, VA/North Stafford) scoring Tiroly with a base hit to right to pick up his first career RBI, giving Rider a 3-0 advantage in the first inning. 


On the other side of the first, the Pirates battled scoring two runs of their own and cutting the lead to one. Rider did find an added run in the third as the Broncs capitalized on some Seton Hall miscues, loading the bases. Griffin Puvel (Thurmont, MD/Saint John's Catholic Prep) would ultimately be the one to drive in the run, working a walk with the bases loaded scoring Anthony Paskell (Solon, OH/Saint Ignatius) to go ahead 4-2. 


In the fifth, Kyle Neri (Williamstown, N.J./St. Augustine Prep|Bryant) brought his impressive weekend run into the midweek going yard for the third time in his last five games giving Rider a 5-2 lead after five.


Chris Montone (Williamstown, NJ/Williamstown) did a great job following the two-run first, holding the Pirates scoreless for four of his six innings of work. Montone saw a run come aboard in the sixth and seventh before exiting the day with a final line of six innings with four earned runs and seven hits.


The Broncs' bullpen was even better following the solid start from Montone as Rider turned to three arms in the final three innings to close things out. Christian Coombes (Ontario, Canada/Parkside Collegiate Institute|Saint Peters), Will Gallagher (Cranford, NJ/Cranford), and Colby McNeely (Milmont Park, PA/The Haverford School) all pitching a scoreless inning on the day. McNeely was the final Bronc to pitch on the day, earning his third save of the year as Rider held on for a 5-4 win on the road.

 Quotes and Notes 
-"We pitched well. Montone did a great job. Our pen with, Coombes. Gallagher and McNeely were excellent. We had big hits by Tiroly's two-run hit and Labruciano. Neri also had a big day as well." Rider Head Coach Dr Barry Davis 

- Montone got the win going six innings allowing four earned runs. Montone moves to 2-0 on the year.
- McNeely scores his third save of the year going one scoreless inning.

Broncs by the Numbers
- Rider had eight hits with Neri, Tiroly, Labrusciano, Luke Lesch (Gloucester, NJ/Gloucester Catholic), and Nick Shuhet ((Mountain Lakes, NJ/Mountain Lakes) all getting a hit on the day.
- Neri picked up his sixth home run of the year tying the team lead.
- Lesch has reached in all 36 games played this year, while also capturing his 200th career hit in the win.

Up Next
The Broncs head back home this weekend starting on Friday when Rider hosts Niagara in a battle of the two top teams in the MAAC starting a 3 PM.