LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Pitchers Anna-Marie Groskritz (Granby, CT/Granby Memorial) and Brooklyn Trujillo-Quintana (Henderson, CO/Prairie View) combined to pitch 14.0 innings without allowing an earned run as the Rider University softball team swept Niagara, 5-0 and 3-1, Sunday afternoon on Herb and Joan Young Field. With the sweep, the Broncs move to 20-12 (6-2 MAAC), while the Purple Eagles fall to 9-14 (5-3 MAAC).

In Game 1, the Broncs struck first in the bottom of the third with an Amanda Cooper (Huntsville, TX/Huntsville) single to left to score Alyssa Ansara (Waterville, OH/Anthony Wayne). Rider scored four more runs in the bottom of the fifth, as Jessie Niegocki (Marana, AZ/Mountainview) and Ansara walked to open the inning and, after a fielder's choice for the first out, Grace Stansfield's (Philadelphia, PA/William Penn Charter) sharp ground ball to first couldn't be handled and was compounded by a throwing error, allowing the first Rider run to score. A stolen base and a walk loaded the bases before Lani Moreno (Claremont, CA/Claremont) hit a two-out, two-run single to make it 4-0. Chaela Crowder (Simi Valley, CA/Simi Valley) capped the scoring with an RBI single.

The support would be more than enough for Groskritz, who pitched a complete-game, one-hit shutout. She walked four and struck out four in the win.

Game 2 started with a Rider run in the bottom of the first. Niegocki led off with a walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, took third on a third-strike wild pitch to put runners on the corners and Stansfield followed with an RBI single through the right side. Niagara would even the score in the second on a play in which the Broncs committed a pair of throwing errors. Rider quickly retook the one-run lead on Ansara's RBI single to score Olivia Burroughs (Escondido, CA/San Pasqual), who'd been hit by a pitch to lead off the frame. The Broncs would add an insurance run in the sixth as Crowder led off with a single, starting pitcher Brooklyn Trujillo-Quintana (Henderson, CO/Prairie View) took her place at first as the flex and stole second, took third on a groundout and scored on Kaitlin Vazquez's (Howell, NJ/Donovan Catholic [Brookdale C.C.]) single up the middle.

Trujillo-Quintana then closed out the complete-game victory, limiting the Purple Eagles to just their second hit of the game their third of the day.

Quotes & Notes
"I think our senior class, they were my first recruiting class – four of the six were part of my first recruiting class – so it's really cool for them to come full circle where they started, when we couldn't win any games when they got here as freshmen and now to be able to sweep a conference opponent on their senior day is awesome."

"Anna has worked on what it takes to be a number one pitcher, going at batters and understanding herself. And Brooklyn has done an exceptional job of mentally changing her game and keeping herself focused in games. She's doing good things." – Rider Head Coach Davon Ortega

- Rider's 20 wins match the 2012 Broncs for most wins in the last 16 years. The last time Rider won more than 20 games was 2006, when it won 24 games. The program record is 35 wins (1994, 2004).  
- Groskritz moved to 7-6 on the year with the complete-game shutout. She limited Niagara to one hit, four walks and a hit-by-pitch, while striking out four.  
- Trujillo-Quintana moved to 6-3 on the year with the Game 2 victory. She limited Niagara to an unearned run on two hits and two walks, while striking out five.
- Prior to the game, the Broncs honored their six seniors – Gianna Epps (Pottstown, PA/Pottstown), Elena Gonzalez (Ashburn, VA/Stone Bridge), Moreno, Stansfield, Trujillo-Quintana and Vazquez on Senior Day.
- Niagara leads the series with the Broncs, 29-25. However, the Broncs swept today's doubleheader, took three of four from the Purple Eagles to open 2021 and split in the prior two twinbills in 2018 and 2019.  
- The game wrapped up a 14-game homestand for the Broncs in which Rider posted a 11-3 record.
- Rider returns to action Wednesday, when it travels to Fairleigh Dickinson for a 2 p.m. non-conference doubleheader.  

Broncs by the Numbers
- Stansfield, Ansara and Moreno led the Broncs with three hits each. Stansfield started the day with 97 career hits, moving to the 100-career hit plateau with her three-hit effort.
- Moreno drove in two.
- Ansara scored twice and added an RBI.
- Stansfield had a run scored and an RBI.
- Crowder and Niegocki had two hits each. Crowder drove in a run, while Niegocki scored once.
- Niegocki drew three walks on the day.
- Vazquez and Cooper added one hit each. Both drove in a run and Cooper also scored once.
- Freshmen Kellie Ervin (Buford, GA/Mountain View) and Burroughs each scored one run.
- The Broncs were 3-for-3 in stolen-base attempts on the day, with Ansara, Stansfield and Trujillo-Quintana each swiping a bag.
- A day after the Broncs cut down all three attempted base stealers from Canisius, Niagara did not attempt a stolen base on the day.