LAWRENCEVILLE—In a game moved to Herb and Joan Young Field due to construction at Princeton, the Rider University softball team lost on a walk-off single, 5-4 to the Tigers on Tuesday afternoon.

Rider (6-16) was the designated away team for the contest.

Tied 4-4, Princeton used a one-out RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning for the final score.

Trailing 4-0 in the top of the sixth inning, senior Amanda Irving (Westminster, Md./Westminster) hit a one-out double to left centerfield.  Junior Dana Sensi (Allentown) hit an RBI double to right centerfield, scoring Irving and cutting the Tiger lead to 4-1.

Irving had two of Rider's six hits in the contest.

After a Princeton error, senior Gina McCool (Marlton/Cherokee) hit an RBI single to left to cut the Bronc deficit to 4-2.  Senior Allysen Breeden then hit a two-run single to left centerfield as Rider tied the game 4-4.

“This team knows that as long as we have an out left, we have a chance,” said head coach Tricia Carroll.  “The bats came through and made some things happen in the sixth inning.”

Freshman Jayme Zeilman (Newfield/Delsea Regional) started and went the first four innings and then came back in relief in the top of the seventh inning, picking up the loss.  Zeilman scattered 10 hits and recorded one strikeout.

“Jayme did a pretty good job coming back in and Megan (Ailand) did a nice job in her two innings of relief,” Carroll said.  “We made some mistakes with a few 0-2 and 1-2 pitches.”

Ailand, a sophomore from Burlingame, California (Burlingame) worked two innings and recorded one strikeout while allowing two earned runs.

Princeton broke a scoreless tie with two runs in the fourth inning and followed with two runs in the bottom of the fifth.

The Tigers threatened to score in both the first and second innings however the Bronc defense threw runners out at home plate in both frames.

The Tigers out-hit Rider 14-6 with Princeton leaving 13 runners on base.

“There is some frustration with wanting some of the games back,” Carroll said.  “We are right there.  We are competing and working hard.  Princeton is a good team and we got some good at-bats against them.”

Rider is now 1-4 in one-run games and this is the second game in a row that Rider has lost on a walk-off hit.

Rider and Princeton met earlier this season in Virginia at the Liberty Classic with the Tigers scoring a 12-7 win on March 19. Princeton has won 44 of the 59 games all-time against Rider and the Tigers have won 10 straight in the series.

Rider hosts Delaware in a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday at 3pm.

“Delaware is another tough team,” Carroll added.  “We actually need to practice a bit to work some things out but the schedule is what it is and it will be good to get some more live at-bats.”