LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – On the day the Diane Fulham Blaszka '89 Bullpen was dedicated, it's only appropriate that the Rider University softball team's pitchers did one of the program's all-time great hurlers proud. Anna-Marie Groskritz (Granby, CT/Granby Memorial) and Jessie Niegocki (Marana, AZ/Mountain View) combined to pitch 13 scoreless innings, including the first no-hitter for the program in nearly 10 years from Niegocki, as the Broncs swept Fairfield, 1-0 in eight innings and 8-0 in five, Saturday afternoon at Herb and Joan Young Field. With the wins, the Broncs' fifth and sixth-straight, Rider improves to 15-9 (2-0 MAAC), while the Stags slip to 6-16 (0-2 MAAC).

After seven scoreless innings in Game 1, the Broncs walked it off in the eighth as Gianna Epps (Pottstown, PA/Pottstown) led off with a single, took second on a wild pitch, moved to third on a groundout and scored on Elena Gonzalez's (Ashburn, VA/Stone Bridge) hot shot back up the box that deflected off the pitchers glove to the second baseman. But Gonzalez hustled down the line to beat the throw, allowing Epps to score. Groskritz struck out nine in the eight-inning win, scattering five hits and three walks.

The Broncs' bats came out in full force in support of Niegocki in Game 2, scoring in each of the four innings they came to the plate. Niegocki herself doubled to lead off the bottom of the first, before scoring on a two-out RBI single from Grace Stansfield (Philadelphia, PA/William Penn Charter). Lani Moreno (Claremont, CA/Claremont) followed with an RBI double and scored on two subsequent wild pitches to make it 3-0 after one.

In the second, an Epps double, Niegocki walk and Amanda Cooper (Huntsville, TX/Huntsville) infield single loaded the bases with one out before Epps scored on a wild pitch. After Gonzalez walked to reload the bases, Stansfield sent a deep fly to right for a sacrifice fly, making it 5-0 after two innings. Niegocki added an RBI single to score Alyssa Ansara (Waterville, OH/Anthony Wayne) with the Broncs' sixth run in the third, before Moreno's two-run double scored Stansfield and Gonzalez to make it 8-0 after four.

The support was more than enough for Niegocki, who limited Fairfield to three walks and a hit-by-pitch in her five-inning, no-hit effort. She struck out five.  

Quotes & Notes
"We've been able to string hits together, that kind of thing, but our pitching has always been up and down. And I think now, there's consistency. They're spinning the ball really well. We're really doing a great job of keeping batters off balanced. I couldn't be any more proud of them."

"I think that we're going to be in the top of the conference. We just have to keep doing what we're doing. I think we saw us put everything together today. We're going to have to play a little bit different game sometimes, because I think everybody is recognizing what we're doing now. But I expect good things from this team."  – Rider Head Coach Davon Ortega

"When you have eight runs behind you, it's pretty easy to throw. I didn't realize it was going to be a no-hitter. But when your team's scoring the way they are behind your back, it's easy."  

"I honestly didn't even know it happened until it happened and they announced it at the end of the game. But it feels pretty good, especially to go from a relief role last year to filling more of a role this year." – Rider Sophomore Pitcher/Second Baseman Jessie Niegocki

- Niegocki's no hitter was the 15^th in program history and the first for the Broncs since Rachael Matreale hurled her second career no-no on April 7, 2012 against Saint Peter's.
- Matreale, Leanne Miller, Fulham Blaszka, Jen Dahl each threw multiple no-hitters, with Miller leading the group with three.
- Rider started MAAC play with a sweep for the first time since 2012.
- The Broncs earned shutout victories in both ends of a MAAC doubleheader for the first time since April 3, 2011, against Saint Peter's.
- Groskritz evened her record at 5-5 with 8.0 innings of shutout ball. Her nine strikeouts matched her career high, established earlier this season against Bryant.
- Niegocki is now 2-1 on the season. She struck out five in 5.0 no-hit innings pitched.
- Ysabellah Otero (New Milford, NJ/New Milford) and Chelsea Weatherford (Wixom, MI/White Lake Lakeland) both made their Rider debuts in Game 2. Weatherford got the start defensively at second base, while Otero had a pinch-hit appearance.
- The Broncs' regularly-scheduled doubleheader against Iona on Sunday has been rescheduled to Monday at 1 p.m. due to a threatening weather forecast. Originally scheduled to air on ESPN3, the doubleheader will now be broadcast on BroncVision, the live video streaming portal of GoBroncs.com.  

Broncs by the Numbers
- Ansara and Stansfield led the Broncs' offense with three hits apiece. Ansara scored a run, while Stansfield drove in two and scored twice.
- Epps, Niegocki, Moreno, Gonzalez and Cooper had two hits apiece. Epps and Niegocki scored twice each, while Moreno and Gonzalez had one run each. Moreno drove in a team-high three runs, while Niegocki and Gonzalez each drove in one run.
- Brianna Koonce (Warminster, PA/William Tennent) also contributed a hit in Game 2.