College Softball ? Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

Rider University 5, Saint Peter's College 2

Rider University 3, Saint Peter's College 2

JERSEY CITY?The Rider University softball team kept its playoff hopes alive with a sweep of a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference doubleheader at Saint Peter's Saturday afternoon.  “We've been off from conference play for so long,” said head coach Tricia Carroll.  “It was nice to come up with the two wins on a beautiful day.” 

The Broncs last played a MAAC Game on April 5 at Siena.

For Rider (13-29, 5-5 MAAC) in the opener, junior Allyson Melia (Toms River/Toms River North) hit a two-run double, breaking a scoreless tie in the second inning, scoring senior Lauren Brunner (Chino, Calif./Chino) who had doubled and senior Katy Mills (Seattle, Wash./Mount Rainier) who had singled.  Melia had three hits in the first game and is batting .424 in conference play.

“Allyson had a big hit for us,” said Carroll.  “Those runs were big.”

Leading 2-1 in the seventh, the Broncs tacked on an insurance run on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Brittany Eckett (Jackson/Jackson Memorial) and added two more runs on Peahen errors.

Freshman Rachael Matreale (Williamstown) picked up her seventh win of the season, recording seven strikeouts, allowing only one earned run.  “Rachael pitched awesome,” Carroll said.  “We scratched across some late runs in the first game which was important for us to do.”

Trailing 1-0 in the third inning of the nightcap, sophomore Amanda Centeno (Ventura, Calif./Buena) hit a two-run home run, the first home run of her collegiate career, giving the Broncs a 2-1 lead.  The home run scored senior Clarissa Ortiz (Vineland/Sacred Heart) who had singled.  Ortiz has hits in four of her last five games.

“The energy all day was good,” Carroll added.  “Today we got some clutch hitting from the bottom of our lineup and when the top of the order is struggling a little bit, having the bottom of the order come through was huge for us to set up the home run by Centeno.”

Junior Megan Kozlowski (Richboro, Pa./Council Rock North) hit a solo home run in the fourth inning, her first of the season for the eventual winning run.

Last season, Rider had a total of 13 home runs in 46 games.  This season, the Broncs have gone deep 22 times in the first 42 games.

Brunner went the first four innings on the mound and returned to pitch the seven inning, to pick up her third win of the season.  Brunner had five strikeouts on the day.

The Broncs lead the all-time series against Saint Peter's 24-19 but this is Rider's first win over the Peahens since the 2006 season.  Last season the Broncs lost 8-4 and 6-5 in Lawrenceville.

“The two road wins are important,” said Carroll.  “The winning on the road is hard thought may be overrated but doing the job away from home is important as long as you take care of business at home and we are now in the position to do that.”

Rider's five MAAC wins are currently fifth most in the conference with the top four teams qualifying for the MAAC playoffs May 7-10 in Poughkeepsie, New York.  The Broncs last made MAACs in 2006.

Rider hosts Iona (2-8 MAAC) in a conference doubleheader at Herb and Joan Young Field Sunday at 1:00 p.m.  The Gaels were swept by Manhattan on Saturday.

“We get to play on Sunday, get to play at home at if we show up with the same energy, we'll have a good chance against Iona,” Carroll said.  “We need to just take things one pitch at a time and go from there.”