HAMDEN, Conn. (Interstat) — Quinnipiac scored three unearned runs in the seventh inning to break open a one-run game and defeated Rider 9-4 in the first game of a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference doubleheader Friday at Quinnipiac Baseball Field.

The Bobcats improved to 23-25 overall, while the Broncs fell to 26-17. Quinnipiac had lost to Rider 9-3 in the series opener Thursday. Both teams collected nine hits, but Quinnipiac used two sacrifice hits and capitalized on two Rider errors and a wild pitch in the decisive late innings.

Rider struck first with two runs in the top of the third inning. Charley Magoulick singled through the left side, driving in Hartmann and Leahy to give the Broncs a 2-0 lead. Rider added a run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Hartmann that scored Crespo, making it 3-0. Eliot Medlock then homered to left field in the same inning, extending the lead to 4-0.

Quinnipiac answered in the bottom of the third. Kyle Garbowski singled, and Christian Smith followed with a two-run home run to right field, cutting the deficit to 4-2. The Bobcats tied the game later that inning when Chase Camac singled up the middle, driving in Balcer and Marino, both runs unearned due to an error by the shortstop.

Quinnipiac took the lead for good in the fourth. Ian Nilsen led off with a double to left center, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Caden Will, and scored on Garbowski’s sacrifice fly to center field to make it 5-4.

The Bobcats added two runs in the sixth. Garbowski doubled, Caden Will scored on a wild pitch, and Alex Irizarry singled to drive in Garbowski, pushing the lead to 7-4.

Quinnipiac broke the game open in the seventh. After a walk and a single, a sacrifice bunt advanced two runners into scoring position. Then, on a wild pitch, Chase Camac scored and Cole Constable came home on an error by the catcher, making the score 9-4.

Mike Poncini earned the win in relief for Quinnipiac. He pitched five innings, allowing two hits, no earned runs and striking out two. Poncini had thrown two innings of relief in a win against Fairfield on May 3. Christian Smith finished 2 for 5 with a home run and two RBIs. Garbowski went 3 for 3 with a double, a sacrifice fly and one RBI. Camac had one hit and two RBIs. Chris Montone pitched two shutout innings for Rider, allowing no hits and striking out one.

For Rider, Medlock went 2 for 4 with a home run and one RBI. Magoulick went 1 for 3 with two RBIs. Rider pitchers struggled with control, issuing seven walks and hitting two batters, while Quinnipiac pitchers walked four and hit two.

The most critical sequence came in the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings, when Quinnipiac turned a one-run lead into a five-run advantage. After Kyle Garbowski doubled to right center, Caden Will scored on a wild pitch and Garbowski came home on Alex Irizarry’s single. In the seventh, two unearned runs crossed the plate on a wild pitch and a throwing error, sealing the outcome.

Interstatl’s ELO system had projected Rider with a 57.30 percent probability to win the game.