College Softball
Rider University 6, Fairleigh Dickinson University 3
Rider University 5, Fairleigh Dickinson University 4 / 8 innings

HACKENSACK—Sophomore Monica Clark (Bryn Mawr, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) hit her first home run of the season, snapping a 4-4 tie in extra innings leading the Rider University softball team to a doubleheader sweep of Fairleigh Dickinson University on Wednesday afternoon in non-conference play.

Clark had four hits, including two doubles in the two games and scored twice while knocking in two.

Rider (3-16) won the opener 6-3.

“We made it interesting,” said head coach Jaci Timko.  “We finally woke the bats up and were able to string together the hits we needed.  The pitchers did a great job keeping us in both games.  I was glad to see everything finally executed the way it is supposed to be.”

Rider entered play with six home runs in the opening 17 games of the season and the Bronc offense went yard five times including two home runs by senior Emily Cottrell (Beachwood/Toms River HS South).  Cottrell also scored three times on Wednesday.

In the second game, FDU took a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first inning.

Rider tied the game 1-1 in the top of the second when junior Josettee Spencer (Hillsborough) worked a bases loaded walk, scoring Cottrell who reached on a hit by pitch.

FDU (3-15) took advantage of two Rider errors to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third inning.

In the top of the fifth inning, senior Kim Valdes (Jupiter, Fla./King's Academy) and Cottrell hit back to back solo home runs to give Rider a 3-2 lead.  Valdes had four hits on the day.

The Knights led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a single, stole second and followed with an RBI single to tie the game 3-3.

Freshman Amanda Jordan (Somerset/Franklin Township) singled to center field to open the top of the sixth inning and Clark followed with a double to put runners at second and third.  Sophomore Toni Nino (Adelanto, Calif./Silverado)  followed with an RBI ground out to score Jordan, putting Rider in the lead 4-3.  Nino had five hits in the doubleheader.

The Knights tied it in the bottom of the seventh inning on a two-out RBI single up the middle.

Sophomore Kaitlyn Kallert (Woodland Park/Passaic Valley) worked the final six innings of relief, scattering 10 hits and allowing three runs, two earned while recording two strikeouts to pick up her first win of the season.

In the opener, Rider took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning when Nino doubled and Clark came around to score on a throwing error by the shortstop.  Nino then scored on a wild pitch to give the Broncs a two-run lead.

A home run by FDU in the bottom of the fourth inning cut the Bronc lead to 2-1.

With two outs in the fifth inning, senior Dana Sensi (Allentown) singled and Valdes followed with a single to right field.  Cottrell then hit a three-run home run to left center field, her third of the season to give Rider a 5-1 lead.

A two-out RBI double by FDU in the bottom of the fifth inning cut the Knight deficit to 5-2.

Jordan hit a home run to left center field to get that run back for the Broncs in the top of the sixth inning.  For Jordan it was her first collegiate home run and second hit of her Bronc career after opening the season 0-15.

FDU plated the final run of the game in the bottom of the seventh inning on an RBI double.

Junior Delany DeMello (Roseville, Calif./Roseville) threw the final five innings for Rider, allowing six hits and three earned runs while recording five strikeouts to pick up the win, her second of the season.

Megan Ailand (Burlingame, Calif./Burlingame) started and went the opening two innings for the Broncs, allowing only one walk.  Ailand worked four innings on the day, allowing only two hits and one earned run.

Rider and FDU last met in 2012 when the Broncs defeated the Knights 5-2 at the Rebel Spring Games in Florida.  Dating back to the 2010 season, Rider has won five in a row over FDU and overall, the Broncs have won 10 of 15 over the Knights.

Rider hosts the University of Pennsylvania in a non-conference doubleheader on Saturday at 1pm.

-RU-