Broncs start 3-0 after sweep of UNC Asheville
By Benjamin Shinault
For the first time since the 2020 season, Rider baseball swept its opening series of the year. The Broncs traveled down to Asheville, North Carolina, to take on the University of North Carolina Asheville Bulldogs. Scoring was not hard to come by for the Broncs, as they scored 26 runs over the three-game sweep.
Late game execution
Game one of the series was the toughest game out of the three, as Rider had to battle throughout all nine innings on Feb. 20.
The Bulldogs got on the board first with a home run to left field to take an early 1-0 lead in the second inning.
In the very next inning, junior outfielder Kyle Neri tied it up at 1-1 with an RBI double down the left field line to score senior infielder Will Gallagher.
UNC Asheville struck again in the next inning with a two-run home run to snag back the lead, 3-1.
Rider would not back down, because in each of the next four innings, the Broncs threw a run on the board to get out to a 5-3 lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, though, the Bulldogs came through with a two-run home run to tie it at 5-5, leaving Rider with some work to do in the final two innings of play.
The eighth inning came and went with the game still knotted up at 5-5. In the ninth inning, junior infielder Matt Leahy came through with a shot up the middle to score junior catcher Nick Shuhet.
In the bottom of the ninth, senior pitcher Christian Aiello shut the door on the Bulldogs and struck out two to give the Broncs the win on their opening day.
Additionally, pitching was strong in the season opener. Senior pitcher PJ Craig got the nod to start and went five innings, struck out five and only allowed three earned runs. Aiello took the ball the rest of the way and pitched the final four innings, only allowing two hits.
Going for a series win
Riding the high of some late-game heroics by Leahy, the Broncs got ready for a doubleheader on Feb. 21. With temperatures dipping to the mid-50s, Rider was ready to get hot and light up the scoreboard in game one of the doubleheader, as they won, 10-8.
By the end of the second inning, Rider finished with a 3-0 lead thanks to senior outfielders Anthony Paskell and Erich Hartmann, who combined for the three runs scored.
The Bulldogs bit back, as they got out to a 5-3 lead and held it until the end of the third inning. In the fifth inning, Hartmann and Neri were able to tie it up at 5-5.
The lead did not last long, as later in the inning UNC Asheville took the lead right back off a home run to center field to make it 6-5.
Rider did not stay in the dumps for long, as they got out to a 10-6 lead, thanks to a three-run home run from sophomore first baseman Charley Magoulick.
Magoulick and Hartmann both had great games at the plate for Rider, combining for five RBIs, six hits and two runs.
The Bulldogs rummaged up two more runs to close the gap to 10-8, but junior pitcher Alex D’Ambrosio shut the door and secured the win, as well as the save.
‘The sweep is even better’
Heading into the final game of the opening series, the Broncs were looking to do something that they have not done in six years, sweep their opening series.
Getting the ball to start was senior pitcher Clayton Poliey who pitched lights out over his five innings of action. Poliey struck out three, allowed just four hits and one earned run.
“He provided what we needed,” Acting Head Coach Barry Davis said. “He definitely threw the ball well.”
Offensively, the Broncs got on the Bulldogs immediately, as Hartmann launched a two-run homerun in the first inning to get the scoring started for the Broncs.
Hartmann was a critical piece in Rider’s sweep of UNC Asheville. Over the three games, he had six RBIs, six hits, two doubles and a home run.
“We came in there with confidence, which we prepared for all preseason,” Hartmann said.
After the Hartmann home run, the Bulldogs were able to put one run on the board, but the Broncs responded with eight more runs over the course of the next four innings.
The one responsible for half of those runs was Neri. Like Hartmann, Neri had a strong showing in the opening series. Neri had eight hits, seven RBIs, two doubles and a home run. Neri also left North Carolina with a batting average of .533.
The Bulldogs added one more run in the bottom of the ninth, but the deed was already done. The Broncs won 10-2 and completed the sweep on the road.
“Winning the series is great, but getting the sweep is even better,” Davis said.
The Broncs will now head back up north to play the University of Delaware in a three-game series beginning on Feb. 27. All games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
