College Softball
Rider University 8, Siena College 7
Siena College 6, Rider University 5 (8 inn.)
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Minunni 100th career hit
LOUDONVILLE, N.Y.?The Rider University softball team split a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference doubleheader at Siena on Sunday afternoon. “The whole day, there was nothing pretty going on,” said head coach Tricia Carroll. “It was probably fitting that each team won one of the games.”
In the opener, Rider won a wild game that featured a combined 15 runs, 21 hits and 12 errors.
Junior Candice Harris (Las Vegas, Nev./Coronado) homered twice, had three RBI and three runs scored to lead the Broncs to the win. “Candice did a good job putting the ball in play,” said Carroll. “She is a dangerous player and she had a good day.”
Rider jumped up 2-0 in the first inning, taking advantage of three Saint errors.
The Broncs increased their lead to 4-0 when Harris hit a two-run home run, her fifth of the season.
A sacrifice fly by gave Rider a 5-1 lead in the third with two more Siena errors helping the Broncs plate a run in the fourth for a 6-1 lead.
“We were putting the ball in play and were making things happen,” Carroll said. “It was a little depressing how poorly the defense played.”
Harris hit her sixth home run of the season giving the Broncs a 7-2 lead in the fifth inning with senior Katy Mills (Seattle, Wash./Mount Rainier) hitting an RBI single in the sixth, scoring junior Derrin Minunni (Cohoes, N.Y./Shaker) who had doubled as Rider opened up an 8-3 lead.
Siena scored four times in the bottom of the sixth to get within one at 8-7 before senior Lauren Brunner (Chino, Calif./Chino) struck out two Saint batters to end the threat.
Brunner, who recorded four strikeouts in one and two-thirds innings, struck out two Saint batters looking in the seventh to pick up her first save of the season, making a winner of freshman Kelsey Krisch (Parker, Colo./Council Rock HS North) who recorded five strikeouts for her second win of the year.
“It was sloppy on both ends,” said Carroll. “Kelsey was ok, she walked a few too many but she pitched her way out of a couple tight spots. It was nice because every time Siena came back, we got another run so it was good that we kept scoring because we needed those runs as it turned out.”
In the nightcap, the Broncs lost on a one-out wild pitch in the eight inning after sophomore Brittany Eckett (Jackson/Jackson Memorial) hit a two-out RBI double in the seventh, scoring junior Allyson Melia (Toms River/Toms River HS North) to tie the game at five and force extra innings. Melia had reached on a single, extending her hitting streak to 13 games.
“Brittany did a good job taking the pitch to right center,” Carroll said about the game-tying play.
Minunni had three hits including the 100th of her career, the 40th Bronc softball player to reach the century mark.
“Derrin is finally hitting the ball hard again,” said Carroll. “Her reaching 100 hits is a nice accomplishment. I'm glad she reached it.”
Trailing 5-1, the Broncs scored three times in the sixth inning keyed by a two-run double by Minunni.
Freshman Rachael Matreale (Williamstown) went the distance for Rider (9-22, 3-5 MAAC) recording three strikeouts while allowing only three earned runs as the Bronc defense made three errors.
“Siena had one solid hit the whole second game,” Carroll added.
The Broncs are now 3-4 in one-run games and 2-3 in extra innings this season.
Rider hosts Rutgers in a non-conference game on Tuesday at Herb and Joan Young Field at 4:00p.m.
-RU-
