Friday, May 8
Hamden, Conn.
12:00 PM
Quinnipiac University
23-24, 14-12
9
vs
4
Rider
26-17, 18-8
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rider | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 2 |
| Quinnipiac | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | X | 9 | 9 | 0 |
Photo by: Rob Rasmussen / P8Photos.com
Bobcats Split Doubleheader with Rider on Senior Day
5/8/2026 7:55:00 PM | Baseball
Hamden, Conn. – The Quinnipiac Bobcats split the doubleheader with the Rider Broncs on Friday in Hamden, closing out their home slate for the 2026 regular season. Quinnipiac took down the Broncs 9-4 in the first game of the doubleheader, before dropping game two by a final score of 5-2. Quinnipiac will move to 23-25 overall and 14-13 in conference play.
SCORE
Game One: Quinnipiac 9, Rider 4
Game Two: Rider 5, Quinnipiac 2
RECORDS
Quinnipiac (23-25, 14-13 MAAC) | Rider (27-18, 19-8 MAAC)
Game One:
Winning Pitcher – Nick Balcom (3-6)
Losing Pitcher – Kyle Batt (4-5)
Save: Mike Poncini (1)
Game Two:
Winning Pitcher – Clayton Poliey (3-1)
Losing Pitcher – Jacob Belecky (2-2)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game One
After two scoreless innings, the Broncs got on the board first with a two-run single off the bat of Charley Magoulick.
The Bobcats immediately responded in the home half of the third inning, plating four runs to give them their first lead of the game. Christian Smith got Quinnipiac on the board with a two-run homer over the right field wall, knotting the game up at two. Later in the inning, Chase Camac singled through the middle of the infield, scoring two more runs to put the Bobcats in front, 4-2.
In the next half inning, the Broncs answered with a two-run top of the fourth inning, tying the game back up at four.
Kyle Garbowski put the Bobcats back in front in the bottom half of the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly to center field, which allowed Ian Nilsen to come home to score.
The Bobcats put up another two runs in the sixth inning, stretching their lead to three. Caden Williamson came home on a wild pitch with Quinnipiac's sixth run of the game, and Kyle Garbowski scored on a single from Alex Irizarry to make it a 7-4 game.
Quinnipiac plated two more runs in the bottom of the eighth inning as Chase Camac and Cole Constable both scored on a wild pitch.
The Broncs were shut down by Mike Poncini as the Bobcats took the middle game of the series by a final score of 9-4.
Game Two
Rider got on the board first in the second game of the doubleheader, taking a 2-0 lead after two innings.
Kyle Neri made it a 3-0 lead for the Broncs in the third inning with an RBI single up the middle.
Jack Balcer got the Bobcats on the board in the fifth inning as Alex Irizarry came home on a groundout to the shortstop.
Rider made it a 5-1 game in the top of the ninth inning as two runs came home on a double to left center field.
Quinnipiac's comeback was halted in the ninth after Christian Smith brought home Luke Zeisloft with QU's second run of the game.
NEWS AND NOTES
ON DECK
SCORE
Game One: Quinnipiac 9, Rider 4
Game Two: Rider 5, Quinnipiac 2
RECORDS
Quinnipiac (23-25, 14-13 MAAC) | Rider (27-18, 19-8 MAAC)
Game One:
Winning Pitcher – Nick Balcom (3-6)
Losing Pitcher – Kyle Batt (4-5)
Save: Mike Poncini (1)
Game Two:
Winning Pitcher – Clayton Poliey (3-1)
Losing Pitcher – Jacob Belecky (2-2)
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game One
After two scoreless innings, the Broncs got on the board first with a two-run single off the bat of Charley Magoulick.
The Bobcats immediately responded in the home half of the third inning, plating four runs to give them their first lead of the game. Christian Smith got Quinnipiac on the board with a two-run homer over the right field wall, knotting the game up at two. Later in the inning, Chase Camac singled through the middle of the infield, scoring two more runs to put the Bobcats in front, 4-2.
In the next half inning, the Broncs answered with a two-run top of the fourth inning, tying the game back up at four.
Kyle Garbowski put the Bobcats back in front in the bottom half of the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly to center field, which allowed Ian Nilsen to come home to score.
The Bobcats put up another two runs in the sixth inning, stretching their lead to three. Caden Williamson came home on a wild pitch with Quinnipiac's sixth run of the game, and Kyle Garbowski scored on a single from Alex Irizarry to make it a 7-4 game.
Quinnipiac plated two more runs in the bottom of the eighth inning as Chase Camac and Cole Constable both scored on a wild pitch.
The Broncs were shut down by Mike Poncini as the Bobcats took the middle game of the series by a final score of 9-4.
Game Two
Rider got on the board first in the second game of the doubleheader, taking a 2-0 lead after two innings.
Kyle Neri made it a 3-0 lead for the Broncs in the third inning with an RBI single up the middle.
Jack Balcer got the Bobcats on the board in the fifth inning as Alex Irizarry came home on a groundout to the shortstop.
Rider made it a 5-1 game in the top of the ninth inning as two runs came home on a double to left center field.
Quinnipiac's comeback was halted in the ninth after Christian Smith brought home Luke Zeisloft with QU's second run of the game.
NEWS AND NOTES
- Six Bobcats collected hits in the doubleheader against Rider, with five of those batters recording multiple hits on the day.
- Christian Smith had a nice day at the plate, going 3-for-9 with three RBIs and a home run.
- Smith's two-run home run in the first game of the doubleheader is his seventh home run of the season, which leads the team.
- Smith is up to 27 RBIs this season, which is good for fourth on the team.
- Kyle Garbowski picked up three hits in seven at-bats in the doubleheader. Garbowski scored two runs and drove in one on the day.
- Garbowski is tied for second on the team in runs scored (32) and third on the team with 29 RBIs this year.
- Alex Irizarry, Christian Nilsen, and Jack Balcer each picked up two hits on the day.
- Irizarry leads the team with a .306 batting average this season, while Balcer is batting .292, and Nilsen has a .241 average.
- Chase Camac picked up one hit on the day with two RBIs. Camac is up to 22 RBIs in his first collegiate season.
- Nick Balcom got the start in game one of the doubleheader and went four innings, allowing four runs on seven hits, and struck out two.
- Mike Poncini earned his first save of the season, pitching the final five innings in the first game of the day, striking out two and allowing just two hits.
- Jacob Belecky started game two and went 3.2 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits.
- James Pazdera was solid in relief, pitching 2.1 innings, allowing just one hit and one walk, while striking out two.
- Matt Alduino pitched the final three innings and allowed two runs on five hits, while striking out three.
ON DECK
- The Bobcats will close out the regular season next weekend as they travel to North Andover, Massachusetts, to take on the Merrimack Warriors in a three-game set.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Balcom, Nick (3-6)
L: Batt, K. (4-5)
S: Poncini, Mike (1)
Batting:
2B: Crespo, P. 1
HR: Medlock, E. 1
RBI: Hartmann, E. 1 ; Magoulic, C. 2 ; Medlock, E. 1
SF: Hartmann, E. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hartmann, E. 1 ; Medlock, E. 1 ; Crespo, P. 1 ; Leahy, M. 1
HBP: Paskell, A. 1 ; Shuhet, N. 1
Batting:
2B: Garbowski, Kyle 1 ; Smith, Christian 1 ; Nilsen, Ian 1
HR: Smith, Christian 1
RBI: Garbowski, Kyle 1 ; Smith, Christian 2 ; Irizarry, Alex 1 ; Camac, Chase 2
SH: Williamson, Caden 1 ; Vancas, Peyton 1
SF: Garbowski, Kyle 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Williamson, Caden 1 ; Garbowski, Kyle 2 ; Smith, Christian 1 ; Balcer, Jack 1 ; Marino, James 1 ; Camac, Chase 1 ; Constable, Cole 1 ; Nilsen, Ian 1
SB: Garbowski, Kyle 1 ; Irizarry, Alex 1 ; Balcer, Jack 1 ; Camac, Chase 1
CS: Williamson, Caden 1
HBP: Williamson, Caden 2 ; Constable, Cole 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
2
H
3
RBI
1
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
LHP
/ BaseballOF/1B
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
C/OF
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
1B
/ Baseball
CIF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballC/1B
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballBaseball vs. Rider DH (5/8/26)
Friday, May 08
Baseball vs. Rider (5/7/26)
Thursday, May 07
Baseball vs. Fairfield (5/3/26)
Sunday, May 03
Baseball vs. Fairfield (5/2/26)
Saturday, May 02
