QU Baseball Snaps Five-Game Losing Streak with 9-8 Win vs. Rider, Splits Doubleheader

Sunday, May 8

Hartford, CT

12:30 PM

Quinnipiac University

17-28, 6-11

Rider University

16-27, 8-9

Rider

Quinnipiac

QU Baseball Snaps Five-Game Losing Streak with 9-8 Win vs. Rider, Splits Doubleheader

5/8/2016 6:32:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: QU Sports Information

WEST HARTFORD, Connecticut – The Quinnipiac baseball team snapped a five-game losing streak as they split Sunday's MAAC doubleheader with the Rider Broncs, winning the second game, 9-8, after falling in the first game, 5-2.

Joseph Burns (Shelton, Connecticut) recorded four hits in the doubleheader, including a two-run home run, two runs scored and five RBIs. Matthew Batten (Shelton, Connecticut) tallied four singles with two runs, two RBIs, two walks and two stolen bases while Lou Iannotti (North Haven, Connecticut) had four hits, including a double with one run and one RBI.

Matthew Payero (Corona, New York) hit a double, scored four runs and drove in two RBIs for the Bobcats while John Bodenhamer (Maple Valley, Washington) also scored two runs with two hits.

The offense came alive to score 11 runs on 21 hits between the two games of the doubleheader.

GAME 1
Justin Thomas (Enfield, Connecticut) pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings of solid relief for Robert Hitt (Suffield, Connecticut) as he allowed just two hits and struck out three batters to keep the Bobcats in the game. Hitt (1-4) struck out six batters through the first 3 2/3 innings in the loss.

Batten went 3 for 4 in the game with two RBIs to lead the offense while Iannotti reached base three times with a pair of singles and a walk. Bodenhamer singled, walked and scored a run while Payero came on as a pinch hitter to score the only other run.

Rider scored all five runs in the third and fourth innings. James Locklear opened up the scoring with a RBI single through the left side that scored Jack Finn. Later in the third inning, Riley Mihalik doubled to the left field corner to score Locklear to make it 2-0.

The Broncs tallied three more runs in the top of the fourth inning, all with the fourth inning, to take a 5-0 lead. Finn singled to left field to score Tyler Kaiser. In the next at bat, Jake Bender tripled to left centerfield to score Finn before coming home to score himself on a throwing error by Batten.

Quinnipiac's bottom of the seventh-inning rally fell short as they scored two runs to bring it within 5-2. Bodenhamer drew a one-out walk and moved up to third on Gibson's single down the right field line. After Payero came on as a pinch-runner, Kyle Horton (Monroe, Connecticut) walked to load the bases. Batten came up to bat and ripped a single into left centerfield that scored Bodenhamer and Payero.

GAME 2
Burns led the charge in game two as four players record two or more hits in the nine run, 13-hit performance by the offense. Burns went 3 for 5 with his home run, five RBIs and two runs scored. Payero played his best game of the season as he went 2 for 5 with three runs and two RBIs.

Iannotti and Matthew Oestreicher (North Haven, Connecticut) each recorded two hits and drove in one RBI. Horton recorded his first career hit with a double late in the game.

Batten came around to score two runs in the game with one hit, two walks and two stolen bases.

Matthew Osieja (Wyckoff, New Jersey) picked up his first win of the season as he pitched 1/3 of an inning in relief of starter Brandon Shileikis (North Dighton, Massachusetts). Matthew Lorenzetti (Marlboro, New Jersey) pitched a perfect eighth inning to hold the lead before Joseph Scaglione (Wyckoff, New Jersey) picked up his first career save with two strikeouts in the ninth inning.

The scoring started early in often in the first game for both teams they combined for six runs in the first inning alone. Rider took a 3-0 lead in the top half of the inning, opened up by Locklear's two-run home run that scored Bender. Later in the inning, Mike Volaski grounded out to shortstop to score Lee Lipinski.

Quinnipiac picked off where it left off in game one in the bottom of the first. Payero reached with a one-out single before Burns drove a home run to dead centerfield to cut Rider's lead to 3-2. Iannotti doubled down the left field line before advanced to third on a passed ball. Oestreicher then poked a single over the second baseman's lead to score Iannotti to tie the game, 3-3.

The Bobcats added three more runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 6-3 lead. Gibson led off with an infield single and moved up to second on Horton's sacrifice fly. Batten singled through the right side to move Gibson up to third before stealing second base. Payero reached on a fielder's choice with Gibson tagged out in a run down to keep runners on second and third. Burns singled home both runners with a single up the middle before coming home to score on Iannotti's RBI single through the left side of the infield.

Rider tied up the game with three runs in the top of the sixth inning after going scoreless since the first. Mike Volaski tripled home Locklear and Bender from first and second to bring the Broncs within one run. The next batter, Kaiser, roped a double of his own to right fielder to score Volaski easily and tied the game, 6-6.

The tie game did not last long as the Bobcats scored three more times in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 9-6 lead. Bodenhamer singled to right field and advanced to second base on a failed pickoff attempt by CJ Hirschy. A Horton ground out moved Bodenhamer to third with two outs before Batten walked and stole second base to put two runners in scoring position. Payero doubled through the right side off a diving play by the second baseman to score Batten and Bodenhamer before Burns singled home Payero to make it 9-8.

Rider scored two more runs in the seventh inning but could not complete the comeback as the Bobcats relievers came through with solid relief to get out of the jam and finish off the game strong.

The Quinnipiac baseball team returns to action next weekend as they travel to Buffalo, New York to face the Canisius Golden Griffins in a three-game series beginning on Saturday, May 14 with a doubleheader beginning at 12 PM followed by a single game at 12 PM on Sunday, May 15.