LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Gianna Epps (Pottstown, PA/Pottstown) had three hits and Olivia Burroughs (Escondido, CA/San Pasqual) went 2-for-4 with a bases-clearing double as the Rider University softball team defeated Garden State rival Monmouth, 11-7, Thursday afternoon. With the win, the Broncs' third-straight, Rider moves to 9-22 on the season. The Hawks fall to 6-26 with the loss.

The Broncs scored twice in the second, with Laneya Wright (Tucson, AZ/Marana) and Kristyn Gardner (Perryville, MD/Perryville) reaching on consecutive singles and moving to second and third on a sacrifice bunt. After another bunt single from Maddie Luedtke (Gibbstown, NJ/Gloucester County Institute of Technology) loaded the bases, Jessie Niegocki (Marana, AZ/Mountain View) drive in Wright with a line drive off the drawn-in third baseman. Julia Harsche (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph-by-the-Sea) then drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 2-0 after two.

In the third, after Monmouth got a run back on an Abby Warner home run, Burroughs led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. A throwing error set the table for Brianna Koonce's (Warminster, PA/William Tennent) two-run double, before Luedtke's single also plated one. A second error on the shortstop in the inning put runners on second and third, signaling the end of the day for Monmouth starting pitcher Kylie Gletow. Things got no better for the Hawks with Kait Mulcahey replacing Gletow, as the Broncs got an RBI single from Epps, consecutive hit batsmen pushed another run across and Burroughs proceeded to clear the bases with a double to make it 10-1 Rider.

But the Hawks would fight back into the game with four runs in the top of the fourth and two more in the fifth. The big knock in the fourth came on a two-out, three-run home run from Francesca Torraca, while Julia Thuer contributed a two-run double in the fifth. But Jadeyn Merrill (Lamesa, TX/Lamesa) came on and got a strikeout to end the inning, before working a scoreless sixth. Niegocki gave the Broncs an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, drawing a two-out walk, moving two bases on Epps' single and scoring when the throw to third got away. Kathryn Schmierer (Racine, WI/Racine Lutheran) slammed the door in the top of the seventh with a 1-2-3 inning.  

Quotes & Notes
"For the second game in a row, I liked our use of the small ball to jump start our offense. We made some progress today by finishing and closing out the game after getting a lead." – Rider Head Coach Davon Ortega

- Stoeckel got the win in the circle to move to 3-5, pitching 4.2 innings. She allowed seven earned runs on 10 hits without walking a batter. She struck out two.
- Merrill pitched 1.1 scoreless innings of relief, limiting the Hawks to a hit and a walk. She struck out one.
- Schmierer pitched a perfect seventh in a non-save situation with Rider up four runs.
- All nine Broncs batters in the starting line-up scored a run.  

Broncs by the Numbers
- Epps produced the second three-hit game of her career (Mar. 6, 2022 at Hampton) and her third multi-hit game in the Broncs' last seven. She scored a run and drove in another.
- Burroughs added two hits, three RBI's and a run scored. She hit her team-leading 11^th double of the year and pushed to a tie for the team lead in RBI's with 18 (Merrill).
- Luedtke added a 2-for-4 effort with a run scored and an RBI. She also stole a base.
- Koonce doubled and drove in two. She also scored a run.
- Niegocki singled, drove in a run and scored twice. She also stole two bases.
- Gardner singled, was hit by a pitch and scored twice.
- Harsche singled, was hit by a pitch, drove in a run and scored one.
- Wright also singled and scored a run.
- Merrill reached on a hit-by-pitch, drove in a run and scored once.

Up Next
The Broncs return to action Saturday, when they play host to Saint Peter's. First pitch of the MAAC doubleheader is scheduled for noon from Herb & Joan Young Field.