JERSEY CITY, NJ – Jessie Niegocki (Marana, AZ/Mountain View) had three hits and pitched a complete-game shutout in a Game 1 victory as the Rider University softball team split a Saturday doubleheader at Saint Peter's. With the split, the Broncs move to 24-18 (8-4 MAAC), while the Peacocks are now 16-23 (2-6 MAAC).

In Game 1, the Broncs scored one run in the first, four more in the second and two more in the third to establish a 7-0 lead. The first run scored as Jessie Niegocki (Marana, AZ/Mountain View) led off with a single, moved to second on an Alyssa Ansara (Waterville, OH/Anthony Wayne) sacrifice bunt and scored on Grace Stansfield's (Philadelphia, PA/William Penn Charter) RBI single up the middle. The Broncs put the first three batters on base in the second, with Olivia Burroughs (Escondido, CA/San Pasqual) being hit by a pitch and Elena Gonzalez (Ashburn, VA/Stone Bridge) and Amanda Cooper (Huntsville, TX/Huntsville) following with singles, the Cooper base hit bringing in Burroughs. After the Peacocks got the first out, Niegocki followed with a two-run single. Stansfield later contributed her second RBI single in as many innings to make it 5-0 Broncs after two.

In the third, Burroughs led off with a double, before Gonzalez clocked her team-leading fourth home run of the year to make it 7-0 Rider after three. The Broncs got on the board again in the sixth as Niegocki led off with a single, took second on Ansara's second sacrifice of the day and scored on Lani Moreno's (Claremont, CA/Claremont) two-out RBI double. Laneya Wright (Tucson, AZ/Marana) followed suit with an RBI double of her own to make it 9-0 Rider.

In Game 2, the Broncs scored single runs in the second and fifth innings to take a 2-0 lead. Burroughs plated the first run on a sacrifice fly to score Moreno, who doubled to lead off the inning. In the fifth, Wright singled, advanced to second on a Burroughs sacrifice and scored on Gonzalez's single up the middle. But Saint Peter's evened the score on a two-run single in the bottom of the inning and made the Broncs pay for a leadoff walk to begin the bottom of the sixth with an RBI double, which proved to be the game-winning run.  

Notes
- With their 24^th win, the Broncs have matched their most wins since 2004 (program-record 35 wins).
- Niegocki started Game 1 in the circle and earned the victory. She pitched a complete-game, two-hit shutout. She scattered just two hits and a walk, while striking out nine.
- Anna-Marie Groskritz (Granby, CT/Granby Memorial) started Game 2 in the circle and took the loss. She allowed three earned runs on seven hits, a walk and two hit-by-pitches in 5.1 innings pitched. She struck out two.  
- Kathryn Schmierer (Racine, WI/Racine Lutheran) got the final two outs of Game 2 in relief, retiring the only two batters she faced.  
- Rider now leads the all-time series with Saint Peter's, 41-29. The Broncs had won five straight and eight of the last nine against the Peacocks prior to the Game 2 loss.    
- The Broncs return to action Sunday, when they travel to Manhattan. First pitch from Riverdale is scheduled for noon.    

Broncs by the Numbers
- Gonzalez, Niegocki and Wright led the Broncs with three hits each on the day.
- Gonzalez homered, drove in three and scored twice.
- Wright added a double, an RBI and a run scored.
- Niegocki led the Broncs with three runs scored to go along with two RBI's.
- Cooper, Moreno and Stansfield had two hits apiece.
- Cooper drove in a run and scored one.
- Moreno doubled twice, scored twice and drove in one, while Stansfield had two RBI's. went 3-for-7 on the day with three singles.
- Burroughs doubled, scored twice and drove in one.
- Gianna Epps (Pottstown, PA/Pottstown) also added a hit.