College Softball:Rider 3 Niagara 1 / Niagara 6 Rider 5
On a day which saw Rider looking back in order to see what the future could hold, the Broncs split a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference doubleheader against Niagara on Saturday. \”I really think we fought hard in both games,\” said head coach Tricia Carroll. \”But the second game in particular summed up what we’ve been dong all season. We were aggressive but made mistakes and Niagara was one hit better than we were. We took a lead, got down, battled back, lost the lead and then almost won the game.\”
Down 1-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning of game one, Rider (9-36, 3-11 MAAC) senior Ashley Boulden (Brooklawn, N.J./Gloucester City High School) had an RBI single to left field to give the Broncs a 2-1 lead with Rider adding another run courtesy of a Niagara error on the same play. A fielder’s choice by sophomore Lauren Brunner (Chino, Calif./Chino) scored senior Desiree Harbaugh (Frederick, Md./Gov. Thomas Johnson) who led off the inning with a single. Harbaugh’s hit broke up a no-hit bid by Niagara’s Brooke Viola who allowed only two walks and retired 12 of the first 14 batters she faced. Viola finished with a complete game three-hitter.
\”We’ve just worked hard to get better,\” said Boulden. \”Even when we heard that we were out of the running for MAAC’s, we continued to work hard, to make ourselves better and to enjoy what we were doing. We play softball because we love the game and we are out there trying to upset some teams as they try for MAAC’s.\”
\”A ball game is a ball game,\” added Boulden who along with Harbaugh will complete their collegiate careers on Sunday. \”We go out and try to win every game and play every game like it could be the last. For Des and I, we’re kind of sad thinking about it but when we step out on the field, we not seniors, we’re ball players and we’ve been taking that approach.\”
In the second game, Brunner pitched a complete game allowing no earned runs as Rider made four errors in the 6-5 loss.
\”We had bases loaded twice, but were a big hit away and that’s been how it has been going,\” said Carroll. \”It’s frustrating but Niagara was just a hit better and sometimes that is going to happen. We took things away from Niagara because we were playing aggressive but in the end, some of that aggressive play led to the runs that were posted in the late innings.\”
The Broncs jumped out to a 2-0 lead scoring single runs in the first and second innings on a Niagara error and a Boulden RBI double. Boulden had four hits on the day, including three in the second game.
Down 3-2 in the third inning, the Broncs tied the score on a home run by freshman Derrin Minunni (Cohoes, N.Y./Shaker), the first of her collegiate career. Minunni had two hits in the second game.
Rider hosts Iona in the final MAAC doubleheader of the season at 1:00pm on Sunday.
The Broncs will celebrate senior day between games, honoring May graduates Ashley Boulden and Desiree Harbaugh. \”It’s sad thinking about the final games,\” Boulden added. \”I had the benefit of going through a senior day in field hockey but then being able to play softball so it might be a little different on Sunday when it is my final collegiate athletic event at Rider. I have great memories of just being out here with my teammates and being one with a team.\”
-RU-
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