College Softball
Monmouth University 4, Rider University 0
Monmouth University 11, Rider University 6
LAWRENCEVILLE?The Rider University softball team was swept by Monmouth in a non-conference doubleheader at Herb and Joan Young Field Tuesday afternoon.
“I thought the energy was better in the second game,” said head coach Tricia Carroll. “We hit the ball right at Monmouth a couple of times but scoring six times, you should be in the game. The defensive effort was frustrating.”
The Broncs made eight errors on the day.
For Rider (10-28) junior Candice Harris (Las Vegas, Nev./Coronado) had three of her four hits in the second game.
Trailing by five in the fourth inning, senior Katy Mills (Seattle, Wash./Mount Rainier) hit a two-run single cutting the Hawk lead to 5-2. Mills had three RBI in the second game.
With Monmouth leading 10-2, the Broncs staved off the eight run rule, scoring four times in the sixth inning led by an RBI single from senior Clarissa Ortiz (Vineland/Sacred Heart) and a two-run single by Harris as Rider got to within 10-6. Harris has 98 career hits for Rider.
“I was happy that we kept working and didn't give up,” said Carroll. “We could have easily just thrown it in when it was 10-2 with one out in the sixth and we didn't. We battled and that is a positive we can build on.”
A solo home run in the seventh by Monmouth's Nichole Alvarez was the final score as the Hawks won by five.
“We're not good enough where we can give away runs,” Carroll said about the defense. “Monmouth took advantage of every mistake we made whether it was on defense or pitch location and we didn't take full advantage when they made errors. That's the difference of Monmouth having 22 wins and us having 10. We have to play better than that.”
In the opener, freshman Kelsey Krisch (Parker, Colo./Council Rock HS North) went the distance allowing only two earned runs as Rider made three errors in the 4-0 loss. “We just didn't hit in the first game,” Carroll said. "It was frustrating. We hold a quality hitting team like Monmouth to four runs, you should have a chance to win the game and we didn't.”
Junior Megan Kozlowski (Richboro, Pa./Council Rock HS North) had two of Rider's four hits in game one.
The Broncs have lost three straight.
Rider leads the all-time series against its former Northeast Conference rivals 26-15 with the last Bronc win over Monmouth coming during the 2005 season.
Today's games were a makeup of a doubleheader scheduled for April 11 that was rained out.
“It's been a while since we've played,” Carroll added. “Playing today and Thursday will hopefully get us back into the flow as we head into the last eight games of the conference schedule. We still have a chance, there a lot of teams bunched together and we have got to start playing better to have a chance to make the playoffs. We're still in the mix.”
The Broncs host Columbia in a non-conference doubleheader on Thursday at 3:00 p.m., at Herb and Joan Young Field.
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