MERION STATION, PA – In a high-scoring rematch from two weeks ago, the Rider baseball team came up just short on the road, falling to Saint Joseph's, 11-10, in the Liberty Bell Classic Semifinals on Wednesday afternoon at Smithson Field. The Broncs drop to 19-10 (12-3 MAAC), while the Hawks improve to 20-11 (10-1 A-10).

Saint Joseph's struck first with a solo home run in the opening inning, but Rider responded immediately with a four-run second. Back-to-back singles from Anthony Paskell and Charley Magoulick set the tone before Nick Shuhet ripped a ground-rule double to put the Broncs on the board. Eliot Medlock followed with a two-run double down the left field line, and Will Gallagher capped the inning with an RBI single to give Rider a 4-1 lead.

Rider added on in the third after Erich Hartmann singled and Kyle Neri walked to open the frame. Paskell's bunt loaded the bases, and Magoulick brought home a run with a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 5-1. However, the Hawks answered with a three-run homer in the bottom half to cut the deficit to one.

The Broncs kept the pressure on in the fourth. After Demetri Bardatsos walked and Gallagher singled, Rider scored on a passed ball. Neri followed with a base hit, and Paskell delivered a two-out RBI single before another run came across on a Saint Joseph's error, pushing the lead to 8-4.

Saint Joseph's chipped away with two runs in the fourth, but Medlock responded with a leadoff home run in the fifth to make it 9-6.

The Hawks continued to battle back, scoring twice in the sixth and adding a solo homer in the seventh to tie the game at nine. Saint Joseph's then took control in the eighth, plating two runs to go in front, 11-9.

Rider threatened in the ninth, as Neri and Paskell drew back-to-back walks to put the tying run on base with no outs. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position, but the Hawks recorded two key strikeouts. Noah Heath worked a walk to load the bases, and Bardatsos was hit by a pitch to force in a run and make it 11-10. With two outs and the bases loaded, the Broncs had one final chance, but Saint Joseph's recorded the final out to secure the win.

Quotes and Notes
"I thought we played well offensively and did a solid job defensively, too. In an 11-10 game, we had our chances and opportunities. The positives are that we swung the bats well, played clean defense, and competed until the end. That's something we'll need this weekend at Fairfield because they're a very good team, and we know that. Today's game prepared us for what's this weekend. It was competitive, and we'll be ready." - Acting Head Coach Dr. Barry Davis

- Neri and Gallagher improved their on-base streak to 26 games, while Neri also pushed his hitting streak to 14 games. 
- Medlock recorded his 10th double of the season and his fifth home run.

Broncs by the Numbers
- Rider had 12 hits in the loss. 
- Paskell led all Broncs with three hits, while Medlock, Magoulick, and Gallagher each had two hits. 
- Hartmann, Neri, Shuhet each recorded one hit. 
- Medlock led the team driving in three runs while Bardatsos, Gallagher, Paskell, Magoulick, and Shuhet each recorded an RBI. 
- The Broncs had a bull pen game with six pitchers seeing action on the mound in Clayton Poliey, Jack Ruditzky, Alex D'Ambrosio, Chris Montone, Jake Dorety, and Conner Flynn. 

Up Next
The Broncs return to action on the road on April 10th when they travel to the defending MAAC Champions, Fairfield, in a rematch of last year's MAAC Tournament Final in a three-game weekend series. 
First pitch is set for 3 p.m.