WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY – The Rider University baseball team used a dominant outing on the mound from Christian Aiello and a five-run fifth inning to defeat Sacred Heart, 5-1, in the series opener at the Heritage Financial Park.

Aiello set the tone early for the Broncs, striking out 11 batters in a stellar performance on the mound. The left-hander struck out the side in both the second and fourth innings and retired 16 consecutive batters before exiting in the seventh, keeping the Pioneers off the scoreboard through the early frames.

After four scoreless innings, Rider broke through in the fifth.

Matt Leahy led off the inning with a single before Will Gallagher followed with another base hit to put two runners aboard. Anthony Paskell then drove in the game's first run with an RBI single to plate Leahy. Erich Hartmann kept the rally going with a single to load the bases, setting up Kyle Neri, who extended his hitting streak with an RBI single to score Gallagher and double the Broncs' lead. Charley Magoulick added a sacrifice fly to bring home Paskell, and Nick Shuhet capped the five-run frame with a two-run triple to give Rider a 5-0 advantage.

Sacred Heart managed a run in the eighth, but the Broncs kept the Pioneers quiet the rest of the way to secure the 5-1 victory in the series opener.

Quotes and Notes
Outstanding outing by Christian Aiello. He retired 16 in a row, I believe. Jake Dorety gave us three solid innings out of the pen. The 5-run 5th was critical. A bunt hit, an opposite-field single, a two-strike put-the-ball-in play single, another two-strike opposite field single, a sac fly, and Nick Shuhet's bases-clearing triple.  

We talk about being a tough out, bunting, and being a good two-strike hitter, and putting the ball in play. It certainly paid off in the fifth.  

It's always good to win game one of any series. We have game two tomorrow, and we need to be ready to play." - Acting Head Coach Dr. Barry Davis

Broncs by the Numbers
- Rider totaled 10 hits in the victory.
- Anthony Paskell, Kyle Neri, and Charley Magoulick led the way with two hits apiece.
- Erich Hartmann, Nick Shuhet, Matt Leahy, and Will Gallagher each added a hit.
- Shuhet paced the Broncs with two RBIs, while Paskell, Neri, and Magoulick each drove in one run.
- Aiello earned the start, tossing 6.0 scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and striking out 11.
- Jake Dorety worked the final 3.0 innings in relief, allowing three hits and one run while striking out four.


Up Next
The Broncs return to action tomorrow for game two of the series with Sacred Heart.