College Softball
Saint Joseph's University 6, Rider University 1
LAWRENCEVILLE-The Rider University softball team lost a non-conference game to Saint Joseph's on Wednesday afternoon at Herb and Joan Young Field on the Lawrenceville campus.
The game was originally scheduled for Saint Joe's and was moved due to wet field conditions.
The Hawks used three hits, a Rider error, wild pitch, passed ball and double steal to plate five runs in the first inning.
"If we hadn't spotted them five runs in the first inning, it would have been a great ball game," said head coach Tricia Carroll. "We would probably still be playing and in extra innings."
Hawk pitcher Erin Gallagher made the lead stand up with 5 1/3 innings of one-hit ball, recording six strikeouts.
Rider (5-17) got on the board with an unearned run in the third inning on a sacrifice fly by senior Brittany Eckett (Jackson/Jackson Memorial).
Junior Lucy Higgins (Westminster, Mass./Notre Dame Academy) had the only Bronc hit, with a single down the right field line in the second inning.
"They were not ready to play and it cost us a ball game," Carroll added. "I told them that if they do that in conference play, it will become a very short season for us. We played well after we spotted Saint Joseph's the five runs. This was disappointing."
Junior Rachael Matreale (Williamstown) went five innings, allowing three earned runs and recorded two strikeouts.
Saint Joseph's defeated Rider 2-0 on March 25, 2010. The teams have now split 16 games in the series that started in 1989. Rider last defeated the Hawks in 2006.
Rider opens conference play with a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference doubleheader at Saint Peter's Saturday at 1pm.
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