LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – The Rider baseball team used a decisive fifth-inning offensive explosion to roll past Canisius, 15-3, in Friday's series opener at Sonny Pittaro Field. The Broncs improve to 13-6 overall and 9-1 in MAAC play, while the Golden Griffins fall to 5-14 (2-5 MAAC).

Canisius struck first, plating two runs in the third, and held Rider without a hit through four innings.

That changed quickly in the fifth.

Eliot Medlock got Rider on the board before Matt Leahy extended the inning with a two-out single to load the bases. Will Gallagher followed with an RBI knock, and Erich Hartmann reached on an error to give Rider its first lead. Kyle Neri and Anthony Paskell delivered back-to-back singles to stretch the advantage before Nick Shuhet cleared the bases with a three-run triple off the wall, making it 8-2.

The inning kept rolling.

Charley Magoulick added an RBI single, Medlock reached on an error, and AJ Labrusciano drew a walk to reload the bases. Leahy delivered again with a two-run single, and two more runs came home on another Canisius miscue as Rider sent 18 batters to the plate in a 13-run frame.

Rider added insurance in the seventh and eighth to push the lead to 15-2.

Canisius scored once in the ninth, but the Broncs secured the 15-3 win to open the weekend series.

Quotes and Notes
"We put the ball in play and made them work defensively. Some plays were routine, but a lot of them weren't easy. That's something we always talk about, don't strike out, just put the ball in play and make things happen. 

I thought PJ settled in well. He had that one inning where he hit a guy and walked a guy, then they strung together a couple of hits. But he bounced back and competed. Defensively, we were solid behind him. We didn't pile up a ton of hits, but we had 10 and turned them into 15 runs. When you get 10 hits, don't strike out much, and double a team's hit total, like 10 to five, you should win that game regardless of the score.

Overall, it's the first game of the series, and you always want to set the tone. We did that today. Now it's about coming back tomorrow, being prepared, and ready to go, even with the colder weather. This team is confident, and it was a good win. Now we turn the page and get ready to go again tomorrow." - Acting Head Coach Dr. Barry Davis

- Gallagher and Neri each extended their on-base streaks to 19 games, while Rider's offense continued its surge, reaching double figures in runs for the third straight contest.
- Anthony Paskell pushed his hitting streak to eight games, with Neri and Eliot Medlock each extending theirs to seven.
- PJ Craig earned the win to improve to 2-1 on the season, turning in a strong start on the mound.
- Eight different Broncs recorded an RBI in the victory, while seven of the nine starters collected at least one hit.

Broncs by the Numbers
- Rider finished with 10 hits on the day, led by multi-hit performances from Gallagher, Matt Leahy, and Medlock. 
- Nick Shuhet paced the offense with three RBIs, while Magoulick and Leahy each drove in two. 
- Gallagher, Hartmann, Neri, Paskell, and Medlock also added RBIs.
- Craig tossed 8.0 innings, allowing just four hits and two runs while striking out three.
- Gallagher closed out the game in relief, working the final inning with one strikeout.

Up Next
The Broncs return to action Saturday for game two of the series against Canisius. 
First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. on ESPN+.