LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ - Behind a 4-3 victory over Saint Peter's and results from around the league, the Rider baseball team clinched its second consecutive MAAC Regular Season Championship and secured the No. 1 seed in next week's MAAC Baseball Championships on Friday afternoon at Sonny Pittaro Field. The Broncs improve to 29-17 (21-8 MAAC), while Saint Peter's falls to 5-46 (1-28 MAAC).
Rider struck first in the opening inning when
Kyle Neri ripped an RBI double to right-center, giving the Broncs an early 1-0 lead.
The Broncs added another run in the second after
Matt Leahy reached on a Saint Peter's error before
AJ Labrusciano delivered a two-out RBI double to make it 2-0.
Saint Peter's answered in the third, scoring twice to even the game at 2-2.
The Peacocks threatened to take the lead in the sixth with runners on second and third and one out, but
Jake Dorety came out of the bullpen and struck out the first two batters he faced to keep the game tied.
Rider responded immediately in the bottom half of the inning.
Kyle Neri drew a leadoff walk before
Anthony Paskell was hit by a pitch.
Nick Shuhet followed with a single to load the bases, and
Charley Magoulick brought home the go-ahead run on a fielder's choice. One batter later, Leahy came through with a two-out RBI single to extend the Broncs' lead to 4-2.
Saint Peter's cut the deficit to one in the eighth, but
Conner Flynn shut the door in the ninth, recording the final three outs to secure the victory and Rider's second consecutive MAAC regular season crown.
Quotes and Notes
"I thought Saint Peter's played really well, but we did enough offensively and came through with runs when we needed them. Dorety did a great job working out of a jam, and I thought our pitching and defense were solid throughout the game. At this point in the season, it's all about finding ways to win and keep moving forward. These are meaningful games late in the year, and I think playing in them will benefit us moving ahead."
- Acting Head Coach Dr. Barry Davis.
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Jake Dorety earned the win in relief to improve to 1-1 on the season, while
Conner Flynn recorded his first save of the year.
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Kyle Neri tallied his 13th double of the season, while
AJ Labrusciano picked up his first double of the year.
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Charley Magoulick extended his hitting streak to 15 games.
- With the win and results from around the MAAC, Rider clinched the No. 1 seed in the MAAC Championships and secured back-to-back regular season titles.
Broncs by the Numbers
- Rider totaled seven hits in the victory.
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Anthony Paskell led the Broncs with two hits, while Neri,
Nick Shuhet, Magoulick,
Matt Leahy, and Labrusciano each added one.
- Neri, Magoulick, Leahy, and Labrusciano each drove in a run.
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Kyle Batt made the start, tossing 5.1 innings while allowing two runs on eight hits and striking out five.
- Dorety delivered 2.2 innings out of the bullpen, allowing one run on two hits while striking out three.
- Flynn shut the door with a scoreless ninth inning, striking out two without allowing a hit.
Up Next
The Broncs close out the regular season tomorrow, May 16, hosting Saint Peter's on Senior Day at Sonny Pittaro Field.
First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
