POMONA, NY- The Rider University Baseball team kicked off the 2024 MAAC Baseball Championship Tournament with a 12-2 win over Marist. With the win the Broncs move to 28-21 and drop Marist to 18-34. With the win, the Broncs advance to tomorrow's winner's bracket contest where they will meet no. 2 Niagara. 


The Broncs' start to the day was highlighted by a strong first three innings of work by PJ Craig (Barnegat, NJ/Barnegat) starting the day by striking out three Red Foxes in the first three innings. Craig wrapped up his day allowing only five hits, two runs, and striking out five in six innings of work. Despite the strong start defensively The Broncs' offense struggled early, leaving a pair of runners on base in the first and second innings. 


In the top of the fourth, Marist started the scoring with a solo homer to take a 1-0 lead. However, in the bottom of the frame, the Broncs saw strong production following a Marist pitching change. The Broncs loaded the bases with only one out in the inning, and Luke Lesch (Gloucester, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) secured the go-ahead base hit, scoring two runners to go up 2-1.


In the top of the fifth, the back and forth continued as Marist brought home another run tying the game at two. 


In the bottom of the sixth, the Broncs again worked with the bases loaded in the tie game, but failed to drive in a run leaving the Broncs and Red Foxes even after six full innings. 


In the top of the seventh, the Broncs turned to the pen after the Red Foxes earned a pair of lead-off base runners. However, Christian Aiello (Hewitt, NJ/ West Milford) was excellent, getting the Broncs out of the jam with a pair of punch outs to leave the runners stranded. In the offensive half of the inning, Brian Skettini (Midland Park, NJ/Ridgewood) earned a clutch extra-base hit, going the other way to the gap in right center to score Matt Leahy (Woolwich, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) to take a 3-2 lead. 


In the eighth, the Broncs exploded starting off the big scoring inning with a Matt Shepherd (Drexel Hill, PA/Monsignor Bonner/Rowan College of South Jersey) lead-off base hit. After a walk and a Richie Sica (Wyckoff,NJ/Ramapo) bunt single, the Broncs loaded the bases and this time came up with the clutch hits. Anthony Paskell (Solon, OH/Saint Ignatius) started the scoring with a base hit up the middle to extend the lead to 4-2. Matt Leahy (Woolwich, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) had a massive two-run double following the Paskell RBI, securing the multi-run inning. Two batters later, Skettini continued his massive day with a two-run single. The biggest hit of the inning came from Joe Tiroly (Yardley, PA/Pennsbury), who hit a massive home run to right center to push the lead to 11-2. After the Broncs re-loaded the bases with two outs, Leahy wrapped up the day with a eighth inning walk-off bunt single to third, scoring Shepherd sealing the win 12-2.


 Quotes and Notes 
-"There was a lot of things that happened there. We had the big bunt and get the bases loaded and then the big double and the home run from Joe, but I thought the big thing was Aiello coming in and shutting things down."- Rider Head Coach Dr Barry Davis


- Craig went six innings, allowing two runs on five hits with five strikeouts.
- Aiello got the win for Rider pitching two scoreless innings with four strikeouts and only one hit allowed.

Broncs by the Numbers
- The Broncs had 18 hits with Lesch, Skettini, Leahy, Shepherd, Paskell, Tiroly, Sica, and Kyle Neri (Williamstown, N.J./St. Augustine Prep/Bryant) all recording hits in the contest.
- Rider finished the eighth with eight hits on nine runs. 
- Jack Winsett (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern) moved his on-base streak to 21 games.
- Neri moved his hit streak to seven games.
-  Tiroly and Neri both had four hits in the game
- Rider earned 14 walks on the contest. 

Up Next
The Broncs will continue MAAC Tournament action Thursday vs No. 2 Niagara at 3 p.m.