LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ- The Rider University Baseball team wrapped up their 2024 regular season by splitting Friday's MAAC doubleheader vs Manhattan. The Broncs took the opening game 10-3 however, they dropped game two 12-6. With the split, the Broncs move to 27-21 and 18-6 in the MAAC and Manhattan moves to 21-31 and 10-14 in the conference. 

In game one, Manhattan started the scoring with their first of six home runs on the day going up 2-0 after the first. In the top of the second, however, Rider answered back with a three-run inning highlighted by Anthony Paskell (Solon, OH/Saint Ignatius) driving in Kyle Neri (Williamstown, N.J./St. Augustine Prep/Bryant) and Matt Shepherd (Drexel Hill, PA/Monsignor Bonner/Rowan College of South Jersey) to take the lead 3-2. 

In the fourth, Paskell came up big again with his second RBI base hit of the day scoring Shepherd on a looping shot to left field to extend the lead to two.

The scoring halted throughout the middle innings as Rider starter Brian Young (Neptune, NJ/Communication) wrapped up an impressive end to the regular season only allowing two runs in the first, as well as striking out seven batters on the day.

The Broncs' game-one win was capped off with a massive top of the eighth where they brought across six runs with the biggest coming from Brian Skettini (Midland Park, NJ/Ridgewood) who worked with the bases loaded and lifted a ball deep to left centerfield leaving the yard earning his career-best ninth home run of the season. The grand slam extended the lead to 10-3 which the Broncs held to take game one. 

In game two, the Broncs struck first driving in a pair of runs in the first inning. The ball game started with back-to-back base hits from Jack Winsett (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern) and Skettini. Shepherd started the damage bringing home Winsett with Rider's third base hit of the inning. After another knock from Neri, the Broncs loaded the bases and scored Skettini with a walk from Paskell. 

The Jaspers did manage to quickly answer the early offense from the Broncs tallying two runs of their own in the bottom of the frame off a two-run homer.

In the third, Rider reclaimed the lead thanks to another clutch hit from Shepherd, scoring Joe Tiroly (Yardley, PA/Pennsbury) giving the Broncs a 3-2 advantage. However, again the Jaspers responded with another long ball tying the game at three in the bottom of the third.

In the fourth, the Jaspers put together a very big inning with a pair of massive extra-base hits including another homer to go up 6-3 after four.

In the fifth, the Broncs kicked things off with a pair of doubles from Justin Costanzo (East Greenwich, NJ/Gloucester Catholic/Widener) and Luke Lesch (Gloucester, NJ/ Gloucester Catholic) to get back on the board. But in the bottom of the frame Manhattan hit two more home runs to go up 8-4 after five. 

In the top of the seventh, Shepherd wrapped up his impressive afternoon driving a ball to left cutting the lead to three late in the ball game. However, the Jaspers sealed the victory in game two by adding four runs in the sixth and the seventh to win 12-6.

 Quotes and Notes 
-"The grand slam in game one was the big hit and that big inning was the separator. I thought we played well, we were good defensively giving up only three runs and score 10 that's a good ball game. All in all we got a lot of guys in and it was a very productive first game and the second game was also productive to get those guys in who we may need at the Tournament."- Rider Head Coach Dr Barry Davis

- Young got the win in game one moving to 7-5 on the year.
- Jake Dorety (Burlington, NJ Burlington TWP) earned his third save of the season pitching three innings allowing only one run in the win.
- Christian Aiello (Hewitt, NJ West Milford) got the loss in game two falling to 3-3 on the year.

Broncs by the Numbers
- Winsett moved his on-base streak to 20 games.
- Skettini hit his career-best ninth homer of the year in game one.
- Neri moved his hit streak to six games.
- Shepherd tied a season best outing with four RBIs on the contest in game two

Up Next
The Broncs will open up MAAC Tournament action vs Marist starting on May 22nd.