LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ- Luke Lesch (Gloucester, NJ/ Gloucester Catholic) jumped into the all-time program top 10 in hits with a pair of game-two homers, as the Rider University baseball team swept their doubleheader with the Iona Gaels on Saturday afternoon. The Broncs won both matchups 13-2 and moved to 24-20 and 15-5 in the MAAC dropping Iona to 11-35 and 5-15 in the conference. 

In game one, the Broncs came out strong. With two outs in the bottom of the first Kyle Neri (Williamstown, N.J./St. Augustine Prep|Bryant) brought in the first run of the ballgame scoring Brian Skettini (Midland Park, NJ/Ridgewood) on a base hit to center. The Broncs loaded the bases and following a walk from Erich Hartmann (Medford, NJ/Shawnee), Joe Tiroly (Yardley, PA/Pennsbury) came in to score capping off a two-run first.

The following inning was the Broncs' most productive of game one driving in five runs to go up 7-0 early. The Broncs kicked off the inning by loading the bases and Matt Leahy (Woolwich, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) was the first to score off a walk by Trioly. The Gaels then went to the pen and the Broncs took advantage, tagging the new pitcher with a two-run double from Matt Shepherd (Drexel Hill,PA/Monsignor Bonner|Rowan College of South Jersey) to go up 5-0. The next two runs again came with the bases loaded as Anthony Paskell (Solon, OH/Saint Ignatius) walked in Tiroly and then Shepherd ended the stellar inning scoring off a passed ball. 

In the third, Rider tallied its third straight scoring inning, starting with a lead-off double from Jack Winsett (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern). Lesch was the man to bring in his fellow Bronc scoring the speedy third basemen from second on a base hit to right field to go up 8-0.

To start the fourth the Gaels finally found an answer scoring two runs in the top half. However, the Broncs quickly matched the two runs with three runs in the bottom of the fourth extending their lead in the middle stages. After base hits from Neri and Hartmann, Paskell drove the pair in off a huge multi-run double to extend the Broncs lead to eight. Winsett knocked in the man at second base rounding out another multi-run frame for the Broncs.

Following the runs in the top of the fourth the Gaels again were silenced by the Rider pitching as PJ Craig (Barnegat, NJ/Barnegat) and Gavin Hawkes (Yardley, PA/Pennsbury) shut down the Iona offense, holding the Gaels scoreless in the final five innings.

In the seventh, the Broncs managed to put the cherry on top in game one as Tiroly rounded out his impressive game one by blasting a ball to left and scoring Griffin Puvel (Thurmont, MD/Saint John's Catholic Prep) on a two-run homer to seal the 13-2 game one win.

The second matchup of the afternoon followed a different formula to start as the Broncs ended up trailing after five innings as the Gaels brought in a run in the fourth and sixth innings to take a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the sixth. 

However, in the bottom of the sixth, the Broncs put together one of their best innings of the season driving in eight runs in the frame. Tiroly kicked off the inning reaching on a dropped third strike. Rider then put together four straight base hits from Shepherd, Neri, Hartmann, and Paskell, allowing the broncs to take the lead 3-2 in the sixth. The offense was far from finished however, as following a Winsett base hit scoring Hartmann, Lesch left the yard with the bases loaded hitting his second grand slam in his last two series, as the Broncs took a 8-2 lead into the seventh.

In the seventh, Rider elected to go to Jake Dorety (Burlington, NJ/Burlington TWP) who was flawless in his relief appearance holding the Gaels scoreless in his three innings of work. In the bottom half, the Broncs put together another massive inning starting with a two-run base hit from Skettini. The inning's scoring capped off with another Lesch long ball as the Broncs' first basemen hit his second home run in as many at bats to round out a seven RBI performance, helping Rider take game two 13-2.

-"We needed to play better and I thought we did. We got good outings from PJ and BY and they kept them at bay and then when had the big innings. Luke big hit  in game two which was really big because at that point it was only a 4-2 game."

"We got the hits when we needed them, I thought our backend guys in the bullpen did a good job when you give up only two runs you should win those games. It's about playing nine innings keep doing the things you gotta do. I didn't think we were excellent but we did enough and I feel good about it and hopefully tomorrow we can finish the job"

"He's got the potential to do that every time he steps up to the plate so it was good to see him get the big hit. That's grand slams in back-to-back series for him so if he continues to have days like that we will be tough to beat." - Rider Baseball Head Coach Dr Barry Davis
 

- Craig got the win in game one going six innings getting the win moving to 6-3 on the year.

-Hawkes got his first save of the year in game one pitching three scoreless innings in relief 

-Brian Young (Neptune, NJ/Communication) got the win in game two pitching six innings allowing two runs on five hits, moving to 6-5 on the year.

- Dorety got his second career save going three scoreless innings in the win

- Every Broncs starter reached safely in both games

- Tiroly and Winsett move their on-base streaks to 16 straight

- Tiroly picked up his team-best 12 multi-RBI game after going 1/3 with three RBIs in game one

- Lesch's seven RBIs are the most by a Bronc this season and the most in a single game in his career.

- Lesch homered in three of his last four games (Four HR in that span and 15 RBIs)

- Lesch moves his on-base streak to 43 straight games, RBI streak to five and his hit streak to 11 straight. 

- Lesch captured his 208th career hit moving him into 9th all-time in program history.

- Skettini moved his hit streak to 8 games

The Broncs wrap up the series with Iona tomorrow 5/12/24 at 12 PM