CONWAY, SC – Sophomore Rachael Zeides (Woodbine, NJ/Ocean City) went 3-for-3 against Coastal Carolina and junior Maddy Chain (Gloucester, NJ/Gloucester City) drove in four against Lafayette, but the Rider University softball team dropped a pair of heartbreakers to open the 2018 season Friday evening at The Battle at the Beach, hosted by Coastal Carolina.

The Broncs took a 1-0 lead on Zeides' RBI single to score Elyse Cuttic (Easton, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) in the top of the third against the host Chanticleers. But Coastal Carolina evened the score a half inning later on an unearned run and walked-off on Alexis Alvino's home run in the bottom of the seventh.

In the nightcap against Lafayette, Kiera Swank's two-run double tied the game in the second and Chain drove in the Broncs' next four runs with a one-run single in the third and a two-out, bases-clearing double in the fourth to stake Rider to a 6-5 lead. The Broncs held the lead until the Leopards were down to their final out in the bottom of the seventh and Miranda Skurla hit a two-run walk-off single.
 
QUOTES & NOTES
"Although both losses were heartbreaking, we did some great things that showed tremendous progress. We had two outstanding pitching performances that really kept us in the games and our goal will be to get some offense going to work behind the pitchers." - Rider Head Coach Davon Ortega

- The game was Ortega's first at the helm of the Broncs following seven seasons as Head Coach at Holy Family University.
- Five Broncs made their Rider debuts – Zeides, Payton Romines (Colorado Springs, CO/Air Academy), Sam Ward (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater Raritan), Keegan Zavodnik (Murrieta, CA/Lakeside) and Melanie Wilkinson (Richboro, PA/Council Rock South).
- Cuttic started in the circle against Coastal Carolina, allowing just two runs, one earned, on two hits and three walks in 6.1 innings pitched. She struck out one.  
- Emily Oltman (Collegeville, PA/Perkiomen Valley) went the distance in Game 2, allowing seven runs, five earned, on five hits and five walks. She struck out two.
 
BRONCS BY THE NUMBERS
- Zeides led the Broncs with three hits.
- Swank reached base safely in all three of her plate appearances with a double, a walk and a hit-by-pitch. She scored a run and drove in two.
- Chain matched her 2017 season total with four RBI's on the day.
- Gabby Bram (Jackson, NJ/Red Bank Catholic) and Toni Nino (Adelanto, CA/Silverado) also added a hit apiece, with Nino scoring a team-best two runs. Bram also crossed the plate once.
- Nino and Zavodnik were both successful on stolen-base attempts as the Broncs went 2-for-2 on the day.