April 25, 2023
Rider Broncs (13-25, 3-7 MAAC) vs. Saint Peter's Peacocks (24-15, 3-7 MAAC)
Time: 12 p.m.  
Location: Lawrenceville, NJ – Herb & Joan Young Field
Live Video – None
Live Stats – GoBroncs.com
Twitter – Twitter.com/SoftballRider

What You Need To Know
- Rider hosts Saint Peter's in a make-up of the previously-scheduled April 15 twinbill Tuesday at noon. The Broncs wrap up a stretch of 11 of 12 games at Herb & Joan Young Field.
- The pendulum has swung back and forth for the Broncs. After snapping a nine-game losing streak April 11 with a sweep of MEAC leader Morgan State, which entered the twinbill at 20-13, the Broncs won their next seven, including a pair of wins over the Bears, Monmouth and Manhattan and a Game 1 win over Marist on April 22. The Broncs then lost Game 2 to the Red Foxes and a pair of one-run setbacks to Siena.  
- Five different Broncs had three hits apiece and Jessie Niegocki and Kathryn Schmierer both pitched complete games in the circle in the sweep of Morgan State.
- The win streak reached three-straight with an 11-7 win over Monmouth in a single game on April 13. Gianna Epps led the way, going 3-for-5, while Olivia Burroughs went 2-for-4 with a bases-clearing double.
- Niegocki and Schmierer combined to limit Manhattan to one run on three hits in a doubleheader sweep on April 16.
- The win streak reached six with another single game win at Monmouth on April 19. Niegocki went another seven innings without allowing an earned run, while Chaela Crowder delivered a key pinch-hit, two-out, two-run single in the sixth inning.
- Rider came back from down 2-0 to Marist Apr. 22 on Laneya Wright's second home run of the season, a two-run shot to left. They then added three runs, including a pinch-hit, two-run single from Chaela Crowder, to take the lead. The Broncs held on for a 5-4 win.
- The Broncs suffered a heartbreaker in Game 2 to Siena on Apr. 23, leading 3-0 entering the top of the seventh prior to a four-run frame for the Saints. In the bottom of the inning, Olivia Burroughs missed a game-tying home run by inches, as her shot to right center hit the top of the fence.
- Since a mercy rule defeat to Texas Tech on March 17, the Broncs have either won or taken a close loss in each of their last 23 games, covering more than a month. Rider has won nine games in the span, while all 14 of their losses have come by either one or two runs.  
- Burroughs leads the Rider offense thus far, hitting .324 with 18 extra-base hits, including a MAAC-leading 14 doubles, one triple and three home runs. Her 21 RBI's also lead the team, while her 20 runs scored are second.
- Jadeyn Merrill has added a .300 average, six doubles, three home runs, 20 RBI's and 14 runs scored.  
- Jessie Niegocki has also added offensive punch with a .293 average with a team-high 22 runs scored. Her .385 on-base percentage out of the leadoff spot ties her with Burroughs for the team lead.   
- The Broncs feature a balanced pitching staff, with three different hurlers making between 15 and 20 appearances and between eight and 16 starts. Niegocki leads the group with six wins, nine complete games, a 2.91 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 93.2 innings pitched. Kathryn Schmierer has added a 3.13 ERA and eight complete games. Fallyn Stoeckel has a 3.68 ERA across 15 appearances, including eight starts, while Jadeyn Merrill has a 3.34 ERA in eight relief appearances.
- Niegocki had a career-high 13 K's vs. Morgan State on April 11, before striking out 10 Manhattan batters in her next outing on April 16. She carried a no hitter into the seventh inning against the Jaspers.
- Rider's wins this season have come over Morgan State (2), Wagner (2), Monmouth (2), Manhattan (2), Lamar, Cleveland State, North Dakota, Delaware and Marist.
- Saint Peter's has cleaned up with an 20-3 record against MEAC (10-1), SWAC (6-1) and NEC (4-1) competition, while posting a 4-12 mark against America East (1-1), Big Ten (0-2), CAA (0-1), MAAC (3-7) and MAC (0-1) members.
- Jess Forte leads Saint Peter's with a .387 average, 36 runs scored and six home runs, while five others have averages of .283 or better with enough plate appearances to qualify. Tai Turner (30) are the Peacocks' RBI leaders.
- A pair of Sydney's lead the Peacocks' pitching staff, with Sydney Palmer owning a 7-5 record with a 2.32 ERA over 75.1 innings pitched and Sydney Senerchia posting a 13-4 record with a 2.69 ERA over 101.1 innings pitched. 
- The Broncs were picked seventh in the MAAC Preseason Coaches Poll. In Rider Head Coach Davon Ortega's tenure, the Broncs have never finished below their projected spot in the standings, but finished higher than the league's coaches expectations in three of four seasons in which the year was completed (no conference games were completed in 2020 due to COVID-19). Most recently, the league's coaches tabbed the Broncs eighth last year, with Rider finishing fourth, the largest disparity between projection and results in Ortega's time in Lawrenceville.
- Niegocki was selected to the Preseason All-MAAC Team. She was named to Extra Innings Softball's Top Two-Way Players List after breaking out in her sophomore campaign, hitting .359 with 34 runs scored to go along with six doubles, 16 RBI's and a team-leading .419 on-base percentage. She was also arguably the Broncs' best pitcher, posting a team-leading 2.09 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 100.1 in/nings pitched. She pitched the first Rider no-hitter in nearly 10 years on April 2 against Fairfield and had three complete-game shutouts on the year. Her 66 hits ranked 68th in the nation last year, while her 8.9 strikeouts per seven innings pitched ranked 41st nationally.
- Niegocki collected the 100^th hit of her Rider career on March 10 against Cleveland State.
- The Broncs are led by sixth-year Head Coach Davon Ortega. Rider's 28 wins in 2022 eclipsed the most in Ortega's five-year tenure at Rider by an 11-win margin (17, 2018, 2021). Following a 15-year absence, Ortega has led the Broncs to back-to-back MAAC Tournament appearances.
- Rider's 28 wins in 2022 were the team's most since 2004, when the Broncs matched the program record of 35 wins (1994).
- Rider finished 2022 with a .500 winning percentage or better in league play for the first time since 2010 (8-8). The Broncs finished above .500 in league play for the first time since 2006 (10-6) and just the fourth time in the program's 26 years in the MAAC.
- Rider led the MAAC in batting average (.294, 45^th in Division I) and earned run average (2.45, 37^th in D1) in 2022.