LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – The Rider University softball team slugged its way to a 9-8 midweek victory over Lehigh Wednesday afternoon. The Broncs improved to 20-18 on the year, while the Mountain Hawks fall to 21-22.
Lehigh opened the scoring early, jumping out to a 3-0 lead on a home run in the top of the first. The Broncs answered with a solo shot off the bat of
Maddie Luedtke (Gibbstown, NJ/Gloucester County Institute of Technology) in the bottom of the first.
Kendall Reda-Fehsal (Succasunna, NJ/Roxbury) led off the bottom of the second with a blast over the fence in right, then
Fallyn Stoeckel (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) doubled down the line in left. Stoeckel would come around to score on a Lehigh error to tie the game 3-3.
After Lehigh reclaimed the lead with a run in the top of the third,
Keegan St. Cyr (Hopkinton, NH/Hopkinton) led off the bottom half by reaching on an error, then Leudtke put Rider right back in front with her second homer of the game, another no doubter over the fence in left.
The score remained there into the fifth when Luedtke hit a one-out single. With two away, Reda-Fehsal matched Luedtke with her second homer of the day, extending the lead to 7-4. The Mountain Hawks got a run back in the sixth, but
Emma Morgan (Mechanicsburg, PA/Cumberland Valley) drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the sixth.
Gabi Rodriguez (Chula Vista, CA/Olympian) then pinch hit and was hit by the first pitch she saw.
Aspen Wheeler (Lampasas, TX/Lampasas) then brought in a run with a single to right and St. Cyr delivered a perfect squeeze bunt to extend the Rider lead with what would prove to be a crucial insurance run. Lehigh would get a three-run homer in the top of the seventh, and get the tying run to second on a two-out double, but the Broncs secured the win with a looping line drive to second that secured the win.
Quotes & Notes
"I like how we stayed with and continued to fight. We started a bit sluggish, but we just pushed through it, and overall, Fallyn pitched a good game today. We're so confident on offense right now, and it has helped our defense. Everyone is going up with the expectation of a hit instead of hoping for a hit. Kendall and Maddie are providing a spark right now. They're upper classmen, and they go up knowing they're going to get a hit. They play really well at home, and have a comfort here, and just know how to hit in this park."
– Head Coach Davon Ortega
"We're all feeding off each other, especially me and Kendall. We're both very competitive and as long as we channel that properly, we continue to help the team. I was just looking for the best pitch to hit today, I knew they were going to try to stay out of the zone, so I was waiting for a pitch down the middle, and I got it a couple times. I just wanted to come out and find a spark to get us ready for Canisius."
– Senior Outfielder Maddie Luedtke
- Stoeckel started the game in the circle, tossing all seven innings, allowing eight runs on 14 hits, striking out one to get the win.
- Luedtke's pair of home runs gives her a MAAC-leading 10 on the season and 17 in her career.
- Reda-Fehsal's home runs give her nine on the year and 21 in her career.
Broncs By The Numbers
- Luedtke led Rider with three hits in the contest and Reda-Fehsal added two
- St. Cyr and Wheeler each had two hits to lead Rider in the game.
- Wheeler and Stoeckel each finished a hit in the contest.
Up Next
The Broncs are back in action Saturday for a conference double header against Canisius beginning at noon.
