NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The Rider University softball team dropped a pair of close decisions in its MAAC openers Sunday, falling to Iona, 1-0 and 5-3, Sunday afternoon in New Rochelle. With the losses, the Broncs fall to 6-18 (0-2 MAAC), while the Gaels are now 9-16-1 (2-0 MAAC).

In Game 1, the Gaels took a pitchers' duel between Kathryn Schmierer (Racine, WI/Racine Lutheran) for the Broncs and Kara Zazzaro for Iona. The lone run in the game came on a two-out RBI triple from Alivia Lichtner in the bottom of the second. The Broncs' greatest threat came in the top of the third, when Gianna Epps (Pottstown, PA/Pottstown) walked, Jessie Niegocki (Marana, AZ/Mountain View) doubled and Julia Harsche (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph-by-the-Sea) walked to load the bases with two out. But Zazzaro got a flyout to end the threat. Zazzaro would limit the Broncs to a leadoff single in the sixth and a one-one Chaela Crowder (Simi Valley, CA/Simi Valley) double in the seventh in securing the complete-game shutout.

An error to begin the bottom of the second in Game 2 resulted in three unearned runs for Iona. Kayla Haywood's two-out bases-clearing double produced the three runs and chased Rider starting pitcher Fallyn Stoeckel (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) from the game. A bases-loaded walk in the third and a two-out double in the fifth pushed Iona's lead to 5-0 after five, before the Broncs began to whittle away at the deficit. Laneya Wright (Tucson, AZ/Marana) singled and scored on Brianna Koonce's (Warminster, PA/William Tennent) triple. After Kristyn Gardner (Perryville, MD/Perryville) walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch, Koonce scored on a Harsche groundout and Gardner scored on a Jadeyn Merrill (Lamesa, TX/Lamesa) double to cut it to 5-3 Iona after six. The Broncs put the tying runs on base on an error and a walk in the top of the seventh. But Iona reliever Samantha Rieb got a groundout to secure the save and the sweep for the Gaels.
 
Notes
- Schmierer allowed just one earned run on four hits, a walk and two hit-by-pitches in 6.0 innings pitched. She struck out 10, doubling her previous season and career high of five, established March 4 against Lamar. She struck out 10, doubling her previous season and career high of five, established March 4 against Lamar. She also pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth in Game 2.  
- Stoeckel started Game 2 and allowed three unearned runs on four hits in 1.2 innings pitched.
- Niegocki pitched 3.1 innings of relief, allowing two earned runs on three hits, two walks and a hit-by-pitch, striking out four.

Broncs by the Numbers
- Niegocki, Koonce and Crowder led the Rider offense with two hits apiece on the day.
- Niegocki went 2-for-6 with a double and a walk.
- Koonce went 2-for-7 with two triples, an RBI and a run scored.
- Crowder went 2-for-7 with a double.
- Wright singled and scored a run in Game 2.
- Merrill had an RBI double in Game 2.
- Gardner walked, was hit by a pitch and scored a run in Game 2.
- Harsche walked in Game 1 and was hit by a pitch and drove in a run on a groundout in Game 2.
- Epps walked in Game 1 and singled in Game 2.
- Olivia Burroughs (Escondido, CA/San Pasqual) and Lilly Feltenberger (Marysville, PA/Susquenita) each walked in Game 2.   

Up Next
The Broncs return to action Monday, when they travel to Fairfield. First pitch of the MAAC doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m.