JERSEY CITY, NJ – Elena Gonzalez (Ashburn, VA/Stone Bridge) went 6-for-8 with a home run, two doubles and nine RBI's as the Rider University softball team swept a doubleheader at hOURglass Rival Saint Peter's. The Broncs won Game 1, 9-0, in five innings, before taking Game 2, 8-2. The wins push Rider to 10-6 and give Head Coach Davon Ortega 200 for her collegiate coaching career, spanning parts of 10 years at Holy Family and Rider. Saint Peter's fell to 0-8.

The Broncs used a five-run third and added four more in the fifth to abbreviate Game 1. A pair of singles and errors on a pair of sacrifice bunts plated a run and left the bases loaded for Gonzalez, who hit a grand slam to put the Broncs on top, 5-0. Lani Moreno (Claremont, CA/Claremont) added a two-run home run in the fifth to make it 7-0, before Gianna Epps' (Pottstown, PA/Pottstown) two-run single pushed the advantage to 9-0. The cushion was more than enough for Debra Jones (Bordentown, NJ/Bordentown), who pitched 5.0 one-hit, scoreless innings. She walked three and struck out seven.  

Rider again jumped out in front with three runs in the first inning of Game 2. Gonzalez stayed hot with a two-run double, while Grace Stansfield (Philadelphia, PA/William Penn Charter) added a sacrifice fly. Gonzalez's seventh and eighth RBI's of the day came in the fourth on a two-run single to make it 5-0. The Peacocks got a run back in the bottom of the inning on a solo home run to make it 5-1 and added another to make it 5-2 after five.

Gonzalez contributed another RBI double in the sixth to spark a three-run inning. Stansfield followed with an RBI single, while Brianna Koonce (Warminster, PA/William Tennent) added a sacrifice fly to make it 8-2 midway through the sixth inning. Jackie Cal (Castle Rock, CO/Regis Jesuit) got the final seven outs to earn the save, making starter Anna-Marie Groskritz (Granby, CT/Granby Memorial) the winning pitcher.

Quotes & Notes
"We came in with a play today and stuck with it well. I like how we came out aggressive and swinging on the offense. We had timely hits and we kept the pressure on the entire day. It was a great sweep and good momentum to carry us into the weekend." – Rider Head Coach Davon Ortega

- Jones evened her record at 4-4 with 5.0 one-hit, scoreless innings in Game 1. She walked three and struck out seven.
- Groskritz is now 4-1 after limiting the Peacocks to two earned runs on three hits and a walk, while striking out six in 4.2 innings pitched.
- Cal recorded the Broncs' first save of the year, scattering five hits without walking a batter in 2.1 innings pitched to close out Game 2. She struck out two.  
- Ortega now has 200 collegiate coaching wins, including 162 at Holy Family and 38 at Rider.
- Rider returns to action this weekend with a pair of noon doubleheaders against Iona.
 
Broncs by the Numbers
- Gonzalez paced the Rider offense with six hits, nine RBI's and four runs scored.
- Alyssa Ansara (Waterville, OH/Anthony Wayne) added a 5-for-8 day with four runs scored and a stolen base.
- Moreno had three hits, including a two-run home run. She scored twice.
- Koonce, Epps and Kelsey Marigliano (Seaford, NY/Plainledge) had two hits apiece. Epps drove in two, while Koonce had one RBI. Marigliano scored three runs.