BUFFALO, NY – In her return from a 17-game absence due to injury, senior Monica Clark (Bryn Mawr, PA/Archbishop Carroll) had five hits and scored four runs to lead the Rider University softball team to a split at Canisius. The Golden Griffins walked off with Game 1, 6-5, before the Broncs won Game 2, 13-5. With the split, the Broncs move to 15-27 (6-8 MAAC), while Canisius is now 10-31 (6-8 MAAC).

Rider took a 3-0 lead in Game 1 on the strength of three-straight RBI singles from Rachael Zeides (Woodbine, NJ/Ocean City), Clark and Toni Niño (Adelanto, CA/Silverado) in the top of the second. Canisius evened the score with three runs in the third and took the lead, 4-3, on an infield single in the fifth.

The Broncs rallied in the seventh to retake the lead. Melanie Wilkinson (Richboro, PA/Council Rock South) singled, Sabrina Torres (Clifton, NJ/Paramus Catholic) walked and Elyse Cuttic (Easton, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases. Rider tied the score on a wild pitch before Sam Ward (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater Raritan) hit an RBI single through the left side to give Rider a 5-4 lead. But Canisius loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh and walked off on Linsi Dennis's two-out, two-run walk-off single up the middle.

Rider scored four runs in the top of the first and never trailed in Game 2. RBI doubles from Wilkinson, Clark and Payton Romines (Colorado Springs, CO/Air Academy) and an RBI single from Gabby Bram (Jackson, NJ/Red Bank Catholic) put the Broncs on top, 4-0. The lead swelled to 6-0 on Ward's RBI double and a run-scoring groundout from Bram in the third.

Canisius took advantage of a pair of Rider errors in the bottom of the third to score four runs, cutting the Broncs' lead to 6-4. But the Broncs scored the next seven runs, including five in the seventh, to push the lead to 13-4. Three walks and a Torres single gave the Broncs a single tally in the fifth, before a pair of errors, including one by the Canisius catcher on a double steal, pushed Rider's lead to 8-4. The five-run seventh started with a Zeides triple with one out. An RBI bunt single from Niño, Ward's two-run single, a Kiera Swank (Bear, DE/Caravel Academy) RBI single and a bases-loaded walk from Bram accounting for the scoring. Canisius got an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to account for the 13-5 final score.
 
QUOTES & NOTES
"Offensively, we came out attacking in both games. However, in Game 1, we settled and remained content. If our pitching staff continues to keep us in games and our offense stays aggressive, I think we will finish the season strong." – Rider Head Coach Davon Ortega

- Cuttic took the Game 1 loss in the circle, allowing six earned runs on 12 hits and a walk in 6.2 innings pitched.
-  Emily Oltman (Collegeville, PA/Perkiomen Valley) won Game 2 in the circle, allowing four runs, three earned, on four hits and two walks, while striking out four.
- Debra Jones (Bordentown, NJ/Bordentown) pitched two innings of relief, allowing one earned run on two hits, while striking out three.   
- Rider returns to action Monday, when it makes up Saturday's postponed doubleheader at Niagara. The doubleheader is scheduled for a 9 a.m. first pitch.  
 
BRONCS BY THE NUMBERS
- Clark went 5-for-9 and is now hitting a team-best .379 on the season.
- Ward went 4-for-5 with a pinch hit in Game 1 and a 3-for-4 effort in Game 2. She drove in four and scored three runs, while also going 2-for-2 in stolen-base attempts.
- Niño had three hits, two RBI's, two runs scored and a stolen base.
- Romines, Zeides and Wilkinson each had two hits, two runs scored and an RBI.
- Bram drove in three.    
- Brianna Parisio (Sayreville, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial) had a hit and three walks in six plate appearances. She scored once.
- Rider's 15 wins are their most since 2012, when the Broncs won 20 games. Rider's six league wins are also the most since 2012 (seven).
- Niño scored her 38^th and 39^th runs of the year. Only Allyson Melia (40 in 2010) has scored more runs in a single season than Niño in the last 10 years of Rider Softball.
- Through 42 games, Rider has scored 218 runs. In a full 50-game slate in 2017, the Broncs scored only 82 runs.  
- Rider's RBI leader had 11 last season. 11 Broncs currently have at least 11 RBI's and an 12^th has 10.