POMONA, NY – The Rider baseball team punched their ticket to the MAAC Championship Series with a statement win over Quinnipiac on Saturday evening, setting up a rematch with Fairfield for the conference title. The Broncs will now need two wins over the Stags to claim the MAAC crown.
The Broncs wasted no time getting on the scoreboard as Erich Hartmann launched a solo home run in his first at-bat, giving Rider an early lead.
Clayton Poliey held Quinnipiac hitless through the first three innings but the Bobcats threatened in the fourth after Sean McCulloch led off with a double, eventually placing runners on the corners with two outs. However, Poliey came through with a clutch strikeout to end the threat.
In the fifth, Quinnipiac loaded the bases with no outs and capitalized with a sacrifice fly followed by a two-run single from CJ Willis to take a 3-1 lead.
Rider turned to the bullpen, bringing in Chris Montone to take over on the mound.
The Broncs answered immediately in the bottom of the fifth, exploding for five runs. Anthony Paskell and Hartmann opened the inning with back-to-back singles. Joe Tiroly drew a walk to load the bases, and Kyle Neri followed with another walk to bring in Paskell. Nick Shuhet then delivered a two-run single to put Rider ahead 4-3 with no outs.
Neri came home on a wild pitch to add to the lead, and later in the inning, Richie Sica laid down a bunt that brought in another run, making it 6-3.
Rider tacked on one more insurance run with a Shuhet sacrifice fly, extending the lead to 7-3—the eventual final score.
Montone was dominant out of the bullpen, keeping the Bobcats hitless until the ninth and holding them scoreless to secure the win.
Quotes and Notes
- The Broncs' appearance in the championship series marks their fourth in the last five seasons.
- Chris Montone earned the win in relief, improving his record to 3-1 on the year.
- Erich Hartmann's solo shot in the first inning was his third home run of the season.
- With the victory, Rider moves to 34-17 overall.
Broncs by the Numbers
- Six different Broncs recorded hits in the win, including Anthony Paskell, Erich Hartmann, Kyle Neri, Nick Shuhet, Brian Magoulick, and Richie Sica.
- Hartmann led the way with a four-hit performance, while Paskell and Magoulick each added two hits.
- Shuhet paced the offense with three RBIs, while Hartmann, Neri, and Sica each drove in a run.
- Clayton Poliey got the start, going 4.2 innings and allowing three hits, three runs, and striking out three.
- Chris Montone finished the game in dominant fashion, tossing 4.1 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out four.
Up Next
The Broncs are back in action tomorrow morning as they face No. 2 Fairfield in the MAAC Championship Series, needing two wins to claim the conference title.
First pitch is scheduled for 12:05 p.m.
