COLLEGE PARK, MD – The Rider University softball team fell to Texas Tech and North Dakota on the opening day of the Capital City Classic on Friday. With the losses, the Broncs fall to 4-12, while the Red Raiders improved to 23-7 and the Fighting Hawks moved to 3-24.
Against Texas Tech, the Broncs struck first with a run in the top of the first.
Jessie Niegocki (Marana, AZ/Mountain View) led off with a walk, moved to third on
Julia Harsche's (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph-by-the-Sea) double and scored on a
Chaela Crowder (Simi Valley, CA/Simi Valley) groundout. But it was all Red Raiders from there. A pair of two-run home runs made it 4-1 Texas Tech after one and the Red Raiders utilized the long ball three more times, twice in the fourth and again in the fifth to abbreviate the game to five innings with a 9-1 victory.
Against North Dakota, the Fighting Hawks struck for four runs on five hits in the fourth to take a 4-0 lead. The Broncs chipped away with an RBI double from
Olivia Burroughs (Escondido, CA/San Pasqual) and a run-scoring single from
Kristyn Gardner (Perryville, MD/Perryville) to cut the deficit in half at 4-2. North Dakota added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth as Baylee Howle singled, stole second and scored on a two-base error attempting to back pick her at second base, giving the Fighting Hawks a 5-2 lead.
Walks from
Gianna Epps (Pottstown, PA/Pottstown) and Niegocki and an RBI single from Harsche started the Broncs' top of the seventh and
Jadeyn Merrill (Lamesa, TX/Lamesa) added a one-out RBI single, cutting the deficit to 5-4 with runners on the corners. But North Dakota reliever Camryn Lasot struck out the next two batters to secure the save.
Quotes & Notes
"It was a tough day today. We have to stay focused on improving on our weaknesses and look to bounce back better tomorrow."
– Rider Head Coach Davon Ortega
- Niegocki took the loss against Texas Tech, allowing six earned runs on four hits and two walks in 3.1 innings pitched. She struck out three.
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Kathryn Schmierer (Racine, WI/Racine Lutheran) pitched 0.2 innings of relief, allowing three earned runs on three hits and a walk.
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Fallyn Stoeckel (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) took the loss vs. North Dakota, allowing four runs, three earned, on six hits and a run in 4.0 innings pitched.
- Merrill pitched the final 2.0 innings in relief vs. North Dakota, allowing just one unearned run on a hit and three walks.
Broncs by the Numbers
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Maddie Luedtke (Gibbstown, NJ/Gloucester County Institute of Technology) had a pair of hits and a walk, driving in one.
- Merrill also added a pair of hits and an RBI.
- Harsche contributed two hits, including a double, and drove in one. She also reached on a walk.
- Gardner chipped in with a double.
- Niegocki singled, walked three times and scored twice.
- Burroughs doubled, drove in a run and scored another. She also walked once.
- Epps walked and scored a run.
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Ysabellah Otero (New Milford, NJ/New Milford) reached on a walk.
- Crowder drove in a run.
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Chelsea Weatherford (Wixom, MI/White Lake Lakeland) added a run as a pinch runner.
Up Next
The Broncs return to Capital City Classic action tomorrow, when they face Bucknell at 9 a.m. and North Dakota at 11:30 a.m.
