LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – The Rider baseball team advanced to the semifinal round of the 2025 Liberty Bell Classic with an 8-5 victory over Lehigh on Tuesday afternoon at Sonny Pittaro Field. The Broncs will face Villanova on April 1 for a chance to play in the championship game.

Rider struck first in the opening inning when a Nick Shuhet walk brought Erich Hartmann home for the game's first run.

Lehigh responded in the top of the second with an RBI single from Trystan Crawford to tie the game. The Mountain Hawks then took a 2-1 lead in the third off a sacrifice fly RBI from Aidan Quinn.

The Broncs regained the lead in the bottom of the third, scoring twice on a Richie Sica sac fly and a wild pitch that allowed Peter Crespo and Nick Shuhet to cross the plate, making it 3-2.

Lehigh answered immediately, scoring two runs in the fourth to reclaim the lead at 4-3.

Rider responded with its biggest inning of the game, plating five runs in the bottom of the fourth. Kyle Neri got things started with a two-run homer to left field, giving him his fifth of the season to push Rider ahead 5-4. 

The offensive surge continued with a two-RBI double from Richie Sica and an RBI single from Matt Leahy, extending the lead to 8-4.

Neither team managed to score again until the top of the ninth, when Lehigh added a run to cut the deficit to 8-5. The Mountain Hawks loaded the bases, but Rider held firm to secure the victory.

Quotes and Notes
"Winning in the Liberty Bell Classic is always a great feeling. Our goal is to take care of business and get back to Citizens Bank Park—it's an unbelievable experience for our players. I was really proud of how our offense took advantage of opportunities and came through in big moments with two strikes and two outs. Gavin Hawkes and Colby McNeely were outstanding in relief, giving us exactly what we needed on the mound. Now, our focus is on Iona—they're playing good baseball, and we know it's going to be a tough series." – Interim Head Coach Lee Lipinski

- Kyle Neri got his fifth HR of the 2025 season.
- Gavin Hawkes earned his first win of the season. 
- Rider will face Villanova for a chance to get a spot in the championship game.

Broncs by the Numbers
- The Broncs had 12 hits in the victory, with Leahy, Erich Hartman, Charley Magoulick, Sica, and Will Gallagher each recording a hit.
- Joe Tiroly and Nick Shuhet each recorded two hits. 
- Kyle Neri led the team with three hits.
- Leahy and Shuhet recorded an RBI in the win. 
- Neri had two RBIs in the contest, along with Sica's team-high of three RBIs.
- Chris Montone pitched 4.0 innings, allowing six hits, four earned runs, and three strikeouts. 
- Gavin Hawkes pitched 3.0 innings, allowing three hits, no earned runs, and three strikeouts.
- Colby McNeely closed the game out for Rider, pitching 1.0 inning, allowing one hit, one earned run, and one strikeout. 


Up Next
The Broncs are back in action on March 28, kicking off a three-game weekend series against Iona.
First pitch is set for 3 p.m.