College Softball
Rider University 4, University of Delaware 0
University of Delaware 4, Rider University 1
LAWRENCEVILLE-The Rider University softball team split a non-conference doubleheader against the University of Delaware Wednesday at Herb and Joan Young Field in Lawrenceville on Wednesday.
"Both games were good ball games," said head coach Tricia Carroll. "Rachael had another strong outing and we put up some runs for her."
In the opening game, behind a one-hitter from Rider senior Rachael Matreale (Williamstown), the Broncs shutout the Blue Hens 4-0.
Matreale, a four-time Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week honoree, recorded five strikeouts in the complete game effort, recording her 13th win of the season and seventh via shutout.
Matreale leads the MAAC and is 79th in the nation in wins and is 83rd nationally in strikeouts per seven innings (6.9) and 104th in earned run average.
Sophomore Alyssa Paul (Toms River/Toms River HS East) broke a scoreless tie by leading off the fourth inning with her second home run of the season and with one out, freshman Allysen Breeden (Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown) hit her team-leading third home run of the season, giving Rider a 2-0 lead. Paul had three hits on the day with Breeden collecting two of Rider's 10 hits in the opener.
The Broncs scored twice in the sixth inning on a Blue Hen error and an RBI single from freshman Amanda Irving (Westminster, Md./Westminster).
"The home runs were nice," Carroll said. "Then we scrapped for a few insurance runs to put the game away."
In the nightcap, despite two hits from junior Heather Muscara (North Bellmore, N.Y./Mepham), the Broncs lost 4-1.
Trailing 2-0, Rider (14-23-1) got on the board in the fourth inning when Muscara led off with a single, was sacrificed to second base and scored on a Blue Hen error.
Delaware (9-33-1) hit a two run home run in the seventh inning for the final score.
Sophomore pitcher Krysti Maronski (Woodbury Heights/GCIT) went the distance for Rider in game two.
"I thought Krysti pitched great in the second game minus the one home run," said Carroll. "We had chances all game to push runs across and we didn't get the job done. We need to capitalize more when we have runners on base."
Rider had eight runners left on base in game two.
Rider and Delaware last met on April 13, 2011 when the Blue Hens won 4-1 in a rain-shortened game in Newark, Delaware.
Former East Coast Conference rivals, Rider and Delaware have met 50 times with the Blue Hens holding a 31-18-1 series lead. The teams met in Lawrenceville in 2010 with Delaware winning 6-5 before the teams tied 4-4 in the nightcap. Delaware won twice by 2-0 scores in Newark in 2009 and won 9-2 and 3-2 in Lawrenceville in 2008. The Broncs last defeated Delaware in 2006 before the opening game win.
Rider hosts Marist in a MAAC doubleheader on Sunday at 1pm.
"Overall, I'm pleased with how we are playing," said Carroll. "The defense has been solid and I know the bats will come around."
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