POMONA, NY - The Rider University Baseball team concluded their 2024 season with a 15-11 loss to Marist in their second game of the night at the 2024 MAAC Baseball Championships. Rider dropped the first matchup of the day to Niagara by a 9-7 margin. The Broncs finish their season at 28-23.

The Broncs kicked off game one with a bang after a pair of walks, including a record-setting one from Jack Winsett (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern Regional) to lead off the game. The Broncs drew first blood in the contest as Matt Shepherd (Drexel Hill, PA/Monsignor Bonner/RCSJ) launched one to right-center with two outs in the first, scoring Winsett and Joe Tiroly (Yardley, PA/Pennsbury) to go up 3-0.

The Purple Eagles found a big inning of their own in the bottom of the second, starting with a base hit and a walk. After recording the first out, Niagara strung together four hits and scored four runs to take a one-run lead.

Following the 59th walk of the year for Winsett, the Broncs answered with a big inning of their own, tying the game at four in the third. Tiroly brought in Winsett with a sacrifice fly to even the score.

In the bottom of the third, Niagara put together an impressive two-out rally, taking the lead back with a base hit by Rees Kozar, going up 5-4. The Purple Eagles loaded the bases, but Brian Young (Neptune, NJ/Communication) and company limited the damage to only one run.

In the fourth, Erich Hartmann (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) reached with a one-out walk, starting a massive inning for Rider. Hartmann was shortly followed by a Matt Leahy (Woolwich, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) base hit, and Winsett matched it with a hit to tie the game at five. Brian Skettini (Midland Park, NJ/Ridgewood) then hit a two-run double down the first base line, scoring Leahy and Winsett to take their first lead since the opening frame.

However, after a three-run top of the fourth, Niagara tied things back up with a two-run bottom half. With a runner at third, Young again got out with no more damage.

In the bottom of the fifth, Niagara put together their fourth straight scoring inning, driving in a run on a Rees Kosar solo homer. The Purple Eagles kept the inning alive with a pair of two-out base hits, forcing the Broncs to bring in Jake Dorety (Burlington, NJ/Burlington TWP). Dorety got the Broncs out of the inning, stranding the Purple Eagle pair and keeping the lead to only one run. However, Niagara extended their lead to two off a solo homer from Matt Ward in the bottom of the sixth, sealing the 9-7 win in the first game of the evening.

In the Broncs' elimination matchup, they trailed after the top of the first as Marist powered a solo homer to strike first. However, Rider continued their back-and-forth fight, bringing across a pair of runners on hits from Shepherd and Luke Lesch (Gloucester, NJ/Gloucester Catholic), going up 2-1 after the first.
But in the top of the second, the Red Foxes reclaimed the lead with a four-run inning. An inning later, they extended their lead to 8-2.

The Broncs answered back with a productive bottom of the third, driving in five runs to cut the lead to one. The massive inning started with Lesch sending a ball to right-center field for his seventh homer of the season, driving in Skettini and cutting the lead to four. Kyle Neri then doubled to left-center, scoring another pair of Broncs, making it a one-run game. Neri was brought in with an RBI groundout from Anthony Paskell (Solon, OH/Saint Ignatius), making it 8-7.

After a quiet fourth, fifth, and sixth, Marist brought their offense back to life with a three-run sixth inning to extend their lead.

In the seventh, Rider rallied back to tie the game at 11, starting with a Skettini homer cutting the lead to three. Neri again came up clutch with an RBI knock, and Paskell tied things up with a two-run double.

In the eighth, the Red Foxes put an exclamation mark on the massive offensive night with a four-run inning, sealing the win 15-11.

Quotes and Notes
 

• "The end of a season is never easy. The kids battled all day. it just wasn't enough. I'm very proud of what we were able to accomplish. A Great group to coach. My assistants Lee and Casey were tremendous to work with." Rider Baseball Head Coach Dr. Barry Davis
• Brian Young (Neptune, NJ/Communication) got the loss in game one, allowing eight runs, all earned, in 4.2 innings.
• Chris Montone (Williamstown, NJ/Williamstown) got the loss in game two, pitching 1.2 innings and allowing three runs, with two being earned.

Broncs by the Numbers

• Winsett  extended his on-base streak to 23 games, while setting a new MAAC single-season record in walks with 59.
• Hartmann extended his on-base streak to 10 games.
• Skettini ends the year on a 15 game on-base streak and five game hit streak finishing the year with 21 multi hit games
• Lesch ends his Rider career with 27 HRs and 212 hits which is good for 6th and 8th all time in progam history.