UNIVERSITY PARK, PA – The Rider University softball team walked off with a 4-3 win over Cornell on Alyssa Ansara's (Waterville, OH/Anthony Wayne) RBI single in the seventh scored Gianna Epps (Pottstown, PA/Pottstown) for the winning run in the Penn State Softball Invitational Saturday afternoon. With the win, the Broncs improve to 9-7, while the Big Red falls to 2-8.

Ansara got the scoring started as well, singling on a bunt following Jessie Niegocki's (Marana, AZ/Mountain View) walk. The second baseman committed an error on the play, allowing Niegocki to come around to score. Following the tally, neither team could plate a run through the fourth inning, after which, the game's first rain delay commenced.

Out of the delay, the Broncs committed a pair of errors that allowed Cornell to score three unearned runs and take a 3-1 lead. In the bottom of the fifth, Niegocki singled with one out and scored from first on Ansara's single to center and an accompanying error by the center fielder.

Laneya Wright (Tucson, AZ/Marana) knotted the game, leading off the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run. Following the inning, the game's second rain delay began.

Anna-Marie Groskritz (Granby, CT/Granby Memorial) came on in the circle in the top of the seventh and worked around a one-out single to keep the score knotted at 3-3. Epps led off the bottom of the inning with a single before moving to second on a Niegocki sacrifice bunt. Ansara followed with her walk-off RBI single to clinch the Rider victory.

Quotes & Notes
"We started the day off flat but I like how this team just keeps battling and fighting through adversity. I'm happy we got the win and I couldn't be any prouder of Alyssa today." – Rider Head Coach Davon Ortega

- Groskritz moved to 2-4 with the win. She limited the Big Red to one hit in a scoreless inning pitched and struck out two.  
- Niegocki and Kathryn Schmierer (Racine, WI/Racine Lutheran) each pitched 0.2 innings of scoreless relief. Niegocki pitched around a pair of walks, while Schmierer did not allow a baserunner. Both struck out one.
- Rider defeated Cornell for the first time in program history, snapping a string of nine-straight Big Red wins since the series began in 1998.
- The game featured two rain delays and the Broncs' scheduled second game of the day vs. UMass Lowell was canceled.  
- The Broncs return to action Sunday, when they face UMass Lowell at 12:30 p.m. and Penn State at 5:30 p.m. to wrap up the Penn State Softball Invitational.

Broncs by the Numbers
- Ansara led the Broncs, going 3-for-4 with an RBI. The Broncs scored on all three of her hits.
- Niegocki went 2-for-2 with a pair of singles, a walk, a sacrifice bunt and two runs scored.
- Wright struck for her second home run of the season.
- Epps singled and scored the winning run.
- Lani Moreno (Claremont, CA/Claremont) also added a hit for the Broncs, who outhit the Big Red, 8-6.