NIAGARA FALLS, NY – Freshman catcher Keegan Zavodnik (Murrieta, CA/Lakeside) homered and drove in two in a 3-1 Game 1 win as the Rider University softball team split at Niagara Monday morning. With the split, the Broncs move to 16-28 (7-9 MAAC), while the Purple Eagles are now 15-28 (7-7 MAAC). Niagara pitcher Jennifer Szilagyi pitched a no hitter in Game 2.

In Game 1, the Broncs plated single runs in the first, fourth and sixth innings to take a 3-0 lead. Toni Niño (Adelanto, CA/Silverado) led off the game with a double, took third on a groundout and scored on Monica Clark's (Bryn Mawr, PA/Archbishop Carroll) RBI single in the first. Singles from Payton Romines (Colorado Springs, CO/Air Academy) and Sam Ward (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater Raritan) and an error loaded the bases in the fourth for Zavodnik, who drove in a run with a single. Zavodnik padded the lead with a solo home run in the sixth. Niagara scored a single run with a two-out RBI single in the seventh, but Rider starting pitcher Elyse Cuttic (Easton, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) finished off the complete-game victory.

In Game 2, Niagara pushed across single tallies in the third and fourth innings on an RBI single and a sacrifice fly and it was more than enough for Szilagyi, who didn't allow a hit in the contest. She limited the Broncs to three base runners in the game on a walk and two errors.
 
QUOTES & NOTES
"Our pitching was outstanding today and was good enough to get us two wins. Unfortunately our offense went on hiatus and again it proved costly." – Rider Head Coach Davon Ortega

- Cuttic earned her team-leading seventh win of the year in her 11^th complete-game effort of the season. She allowed one earned run on five hits and a walk, while striking out three.  
-  Emily Oltman (Collegeville, PA/Perkiomen Valley) also went the distance in Game 2, but took the loss. She allowed two earned runs on three hits and four walks in six innings, striking out five.
- With four games left in the conference schedule, the Broncs sit tied in seventh with Quinnipiac at 7-9, with Canisius (6-8) and Manhattan (6-10) also still in the playoff picture. Marist (8-8) and Niagara (7-7) are currently tied for the 5^th and 6^th positions in the six-team MAAC Championships.
- Rider returns to action Wednesday, when it travels to Lehigh for a non-conference doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.  
 
BRONCS BY THE NUMBERS
- Zavodnik and Romines had two hits each to lead the Broncs' offense.
- Zavodnik drove in two, while Clark had the Broncs' other RBI.
- Zavodnik, Romines and Niño each scored a run.
- Niño's run was her 40^th of the season, tying Allyson Melia (40 in 2010) for the most runs scored in a single season in the last 10 years of Rider Softball.
- Rider's 16 wins are their most since 2012, when the Broncs won 20 games. Rider's seven league wins are also the most since the 2012 also won seven in 16 games.
- Through 44 games, Rider has scored 221 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.