Broncs cruise at home, defeating Sacred Heart and Seton Hall
By Matt Schorr and Benjamin Shinault
Following a loss to Princeton on April 16, the Broncs could not stop scoring with a combined 27 runs over their last Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference series against Sacred Heart. Rider would then continue their slugging bash with an 11-8 victory over the Seton Hall Pirates on April 22.
The battle begins
On April 17, the Broncs began a three-game homestand series against the Sacred Heart Pioneers.
The starting pitcher for the Broncs was freshman Kyle Batt who had pitched six innings while only allowing three hits with three runs and four strikeouts.
Game one started with the Broncs down 2-0 but sophomore infielder Joe Tiroly quickly evened it up with a two-run home run in the bottom of the third inning.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Broncs took the lead on a sophomore outfielder Kyle Neri single that had driven sophomore infielder Matt Leahy home.
The Pioneers had other plans and quickly tied things up but the game would not be an even score for long with freshman infielder Peter Crespo doubling and bringing junior outfielder Anthony Paskell home to make it a 4-3 ball game in the sixth inning.
To round out the scoring for the game the Broncs third baseman junior Will Gallagher hit a base to drive Crespo home, making the game 5-3 in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Junior Gavin Hawkes recorded the save with one inning allowing zero hits with one strikeout.
The intense battle
Game two was set for April 18 and came down to the wire.
The Broncs’ starting pitcher was senior Brian Young who ended the game with six innings, pitched 11 hits and eight runs on the day.
The Pioneers started off hot by scoring three runs in the top of the first inning but the Broncs fired right back with four runs, courtesy of hits made by sophomore catcher Nick Shuhet and Paskell.
The scoring had gone back and forth the whole game until the seventh inning. The Pioneers scored three runs and took the lead 11-9 but the Broncs quickly answered in the bottom of the frame by scoring two runs courtesy of Tiroly with a fielder’s choice and Neri with a double.
Extra innings seemed looming with the score noted up at 11-11 but in the bottom of the ninth inning Tiroly walked it off courtesy of a fielder’s choice hit by Paskell.
The end game
Game three took place on April 19 with excitement in the air: The Broncs had already taken the series.
The starting pitcher for the Broncs was junior Clayton Poliey who pitched six innings, allowed five hits and one run with four strikeouts.
The Broncs started early in the bottom of the first inning when both junior outfielder Erich Hartmann and Tiroly scored off of hits provided by Shuhet and Paskell.
Sacred Heart got a run back in the top of the second inning, making it a one run game until the fifth inning when Crespo hit a single, scoring three runs on a throwing error and allowing him to advance to third to break the game open.
The Broncs proceeded to add three more runs in the sixth inning and added two more runs: one in the seventh and another in the eighth inning.
The pitcher who got the save was graduate student Zach Silfies who pitched one inning while allowing zero hits and zero runs with one strikeout.
Close finish
Coming off yet another MAAC series sweep, the Broncs continued to defend their home field as they welcomed the Pirates of Seton Hall and threw them overboard, winning 11-8.
Jogging out to the mound for the start was junior pitcher Colby McNeely. McNeely had a fair share of success in his four innings of action as he struck out five, allowed just one earned run and gave up four measly hits.
The Broncs pounced on the Pirates early in their half of the first inning as they put up two runs on the board coming off an RBI single from Tiroly and Neri stealing home.
Seton Hall didn’t go down without a fight as they knotted the game back at 2-2 in the second inning. But once again, the Broncs were able to score two more additional runs to go up 4-2.
The Broncs went back on the board in the third inning due to a bases loaded walk to take a 5-2 lead that would soon swell to 6-2 off a Neri single to left field.
The Pirates added two more runs to their total to come within two, 7-4. With this, the Broncs added some more breathing room and would go up 11-4.
Rider couldn’t quite put Seton Hall away as in the top of the ninth, they made things interesting. Seton Hall had bases loaded with one out, only down 11-7. The Pirates were able to score one more due to a sacrifice fly but Silfies came in and performed damage control and allowed the Broncs to pick up their fourth straight win.
Rider will head to the city of Philadelphia to take on the Quakers of the University of Pennsylvania. First pitch will be at 3 p.m.
