College Softball
Rider University 14, Saint Peter's University 12
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Game

LAWRENCEVILLE—In a game as wild as the weather, the Rider University softball team scored 10 runs in the first inning and held on for a 14-12 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference win over Saint Peter's University on Tuesday afternoon with game two of the doubleheader rained out at Herb and Joan Young Field.

For Rider (6-34, 3-10 MAAC), junior Josettee Spencer (Hillsborough) had four of the season-high 18 hits for the Broncs with sophomore Monica Clark (Bryn Mawr, Pa./Archbiship Carroll) and sophomore Toni Nino (Adelanto, Calif./Monte Vista) each adding three hits.

Seniors Dana Sensi (Allentown) and Kim Valdes (Jupiter, Fla./King's Academy) each had three RBIs with Valdes adding two doubles.

Sophomore Kaitlyn Kallert (Woodland Park/Passaic Valley) threw two and two thirds innings of relief to pick up the win with starter, junior Megan Ailand (Burlingame, Calif./Burlingame) coming back in to record the final two outs for her first save of the season.

“I'm going to attribute the mental lapses to getting ahead by that much so early,” said head coach Jaci Timko about the six errors in the game for the Broncs.  “We kind of backed off on defense and that can't happen this late in the season.”

Rider banged out 10 hits in the opening inning, including a two-run single Clark and two hits from Spencer with the Broncs batting around.

“Even though we made mistakes, we made up for it at the plate,” Timko said.  “We were able to score runs and when mistakes happened we had a cushion to work with.  We showed fight and that's always a good thing, especially this late in the season.”

Nino singled and went around the bases after an error by the Saint Peter's centerfielder to give Rider an 11-2 lead after three innings.

After the Peacocks cut the Bronc lead to 11-8, Rider scored three times in the bottom of the fifth inning on an RBI from Sensi and a two-run double from Valdes, pushing the Bronc lead to 14-8.

Saint Peter's (0-34, 0-11 MAAC) scored four times on four hits in the top of the seventh inning and had the tying runner on second before a ground out to shortstop ended the contest.

The game was delayed 48 minutes due to lightning in the top of the third inning.

Rider is tentatively scheduled for a single game at Columbia on Wednesday at 3pm but that game may change due to the need to make up the conference contest from today's second game.

-RU-