NC Central 5 Rider 4

Box Score

College Softball – Liberty Classic

North Carolina Central 5, Rider University 4

LYNCHBURG, Va.—Despite two hits and two runs scored from junior Dana Sensi (Allentown), the Rider University softball team lost the final game at the Liberty Classic in Lynchburg, Virginia, losing to North Carolina Central 5-4.

Rider (5-12) finished 1-6 in the four-day, seven-game tournament hosted by the Flames.

Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the third inning, Rider got on the board when Sensi led off the inning with her sixth home run of the season, as the shot over the leftfield fence cut the NC Central lead in half.

“Dana is seeing the ball well,” said head coach Tricia Carroll. “We are disappointed that we couldn't finish off the tournament with a win.”

Sensi batted .478 in the tournament with two doubles and five home runs and she picked up career hit number 100 earlier in the week, the 48th Bronc to reach that plateau in the 38 seasons of Bronc softball.

Trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning, Rider tied the score on an RBI single from senior Gina McCool (Marlton/Cherokee) and a sacrifice fly from sophomore Delany DeMello (Roseville, Calif./Roseville).

McCool, who walked three times in the game, had five hits in the tournament for the Broncs.

With North Carolina Central leading 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Rider again tied the game when senior Amanda Irving (Westminster, Md./Westminster) hit a run-scoring single, scoring freshman Morgan DiVello (Atco/Hammonton) who had walked.

Irving had four stolen bases for the tournament and leads the Broncs with nine steals this season.

“That's how we are going to have to play, being aggressive on the bases and follow that up with big bats,” Carroll said.

NC Central used three straight singles in the top of the seventh inning to score the game-winner.

Rider put the tying runner on base in the bottom of the seventh but could not score as the game ended on a double play. The Broncs had 13 hits on Sunday but left 10 runners on base in the game and left 50 on base in the seven games at Liberty.

“We had the bases loaded twice and didn't score,” Carroll said. “That can't happen.”

Sophomore Megan McDonough (Olney, Md./Sherwood) worked five and one third innings of relief, recording four strikeouts to pick up the loss.

McDonough also doubled in the game, batted .364 for the tournament.

Rider defeated NC Central 11-1 on Friday for its only win of the tournament.

The home opener for the Broncs is now scheduled for March 28 when Rider hosts Monmouth in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference doubleheader at Herb and Joan Young Field, beginning at 1pm.

“Overall it was a good trip,” Carroll added. “It will be great to be home.”

-RU-

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