NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, NY - The Rider baseball team came out swinging in a big way, erupting for runs early and often to even the series in dominant fashion. The Broncs piled up runs in nearly every inning on their way to a statement win over Niagara. The Broncs improve to 25-15 (17-6 MAAC), while Niagara falls to 21-16-1 (16-7 MAAC).
Rider didn't wait around to respond after dropping the series opener. Back-to-back singles from
Will Gallagher and
Erich Hartmann set the tone right away, and
Kyle Neri followed with a ground-rule double to left-center to bring in the game's first run. One batter later,
Charley Magoulick shot a two-run single up the middle, and
Nick Shuhet kept it rolling with a two-run blast to left to clear the bases.
Peter Crespo capped a monster first inning with a solo shot to right, as the Broncs erupted for six runs and a 6-0 lead.
Rider kept the pressure on in the second, adding two more on a Neri sac fly and a Magoulick RBI knock to make it 8-0.
The Broncs blew it open in the third, plating five runs on just two hits, highlighted by a two-run single from Hartmann to take a commanding 13-0 advantage.
Niagara got on the board in the bottom half of the third, but Rider answered again in the fifth. An
Anthony Paskell sac fly and another Hartmann RBI single pushed the lead to 15-1.
Then came the sixth, when Rider exploded for nine runs in the inning. After walks from
Matt Leahy and Gallagher and a hit-by-pitch to Hartmann loaded the bases, the Broncs capitalized on Niagara miscues to plate three more runs.
Eliot Medlock delivered an RBI single to keep things rolling, and back-to-back walks from Crespo and Leahy forced in two more. By the end of the inning, Rider had stretched the lead to 24-1.
Niagara added one in the bottom of the sixth, but
Dillon Jennings answered in the seventh with a pinch-hit ground-rule RBI double, capping the scoring and giving Rider a dominant 26-run performance.
Quotes and Notes
"I thought our pitching staff did a great job, especially battling through a cold day and staying ready during some long innings. We got a great message this morning from our assistant coach, Christian Lee, and I tried to carry that energy into our pregame talk after a tough loss yesterday. I'm really proud of how the guys responded. Now we've put ourselves in a rubber match tomorrow, which is big, but it won't be easy, so we've got to be ready to go."
- Acting Head Coach Dr. Barry Davis
- Shuhet and Crespo each launched their fifth home run of the season. Hartmann notched his 13th double of the year, while Neri recorded his 10th.
- The Broncs racked up a season-high 19 hits in the win, improving to 23-6 when recording double-digit hits. Rider's 26 runs marked their highest scoring output of the season. They've now scored 10 or more runs in 15 games, moving to an impressive 13-2 in those contests.
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Kyle Batt earned the win on the mound, improving to 4-4 on the year.
Broncs by the Numbers
- Rider totaled 19 hits in the victory. Magoulick led the way with four hits, while Hartmann added three. Gallagher, Neri, Shuhet, and Leahy each finished with two hits apiece. Jennings, Medlock,
Noah Heath, and Crespo all chipped in with a hit.
- On the mound, Batt got the start and went 5.0 innings, allowing just three hits and one run while striking out four.
Chris Montone followed in relief, tossing 3.0 innings, giving up five hits and one run while striking out four.
Up Next
The Broncs return to action on May 3 for a winner-take-all series finale against Niagara. First pitch is set for 12 p.m.
