GREENVILLE, NC – Four Broncs had three hits each as the Rider University softball team split a pair of games with Towson to wrap up play at the Pirate Invitational, hosted by East Carolina, Sunday morning. With the split – a 3-2 Rider win in the first game and a Towson win by the same score in the second – the Broncs move to 3-2 on the year, while Towson is now 5-9.

In Game 1, both teams scored in the first inning. Jessie Niegocki (Marana, AZ/Mountain View) and Tristen Wren (Rancho Cucamonga, CA/Etiwanda) led things off with singles before Jadeyn Merrill (Lamesa, TX/Lamesa) walked to load the bases. After the Tigers got the first out on a force play at the plate, Kristyn Gardner (Perryville, MD/Perryville) walked to push Wren across with the first run. Towson responded in the bottom of the frame on a solo home run from Cara Bohner to knot the score at 1-1.

Towson edged ahead with an RBI double from Cori Jones in the bottom of the fifth, before Kendall Reda-Fehsal (Succasunna, NJ/Roxbury) doubled and Gardner singled to push pinch runner Olivia Smith (Freehold, NJ/Freehold Township) to third. Smith would score on a wild pitch to tie the game at 2-2 in the top of the sixth.

The game headed to extra innings, with Niegocki placed on second to begin the top of the eighth. Wren led off with a single to put runners on the corners and Reda-Fehsal followed with a line drive off the pitcher's shin to score Niegocki with what proved to be the winning run. Merrill capped her five innings in relief without allowing an earned run by setting down the Tigers 1-2-3 in the bottom of the eighth.

In Game 2, the Broncs struck for a run and a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Niegocki led off with a single and, following consecutive force outs at second, Reda-Fehsal delivered a double to left to plate Merrill. Towson responded with a pair of run-scoring hits in the top of the third to take a 2-1 lead, before Rider knotted the score in the bottom of the fourth on a Maddie Luedtke (Gibbstown, NJ/Gloucester County Institute of Technology) double and a two-out RBI single from Kiersten Buchanan (Holly Springs, NC/Holly Springs).

But the Tigers scored what proved to be the winning run on a single, a passed ball and a two-out, RBI infield single in the top of the sixth. The Broncs loaded the bases with two out in the bottom of the sixth and put runners on the corner to lead off the seventh, but could not push across the tying run.

Notes
- Merrill picked up the win in the first game, pitching 5.0 innings of relief without allowing an earned run. She limited the Tigers to one unearned run on three hits and three walks, while striking out seven.
- Niegocki started the first game in the circle and allowed just one earned run on three hits and two walks over 3.0 innings pitched. She struck out three.
- Anna-Marie Groskritz (Granby, CT/Granby Memorial) started the second game, allowing two earned runs on four hits and a walk. She struck out one in 2.1 innings pitched.
- Kathryn Schmierer (Racine, WI/Racine Lutheran) also pitched 2.2 scoreless innings of relief in the second game, limiting the Tigers to two hits, a walk and two hit-by-pitches.
- Fallyn Stoeckel (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) took the Game 2 loss in relief, allowing one unearned run on three hits and a walk, striking out one over 2.0 innings pitched. 

Broncs by the Numbers
- Niegocki, Wren, Luedtke and Reda-Fehsal all contributed three hits on the day.
- Wren and Luedtke had a double and a run scored.
- Reda-Fehsal doubled twice and drove in two.
- Niegocki scored one run, the game-winner in the first game.
- Buchanan added two hits and an RBI.
- Amanda Cooper (Huntsville, TX/Huntsville) and Gardner also had one hit each, with Gardner also reaching on a walk.   
- Merrill walked and scored a run.
- Smith walked twice and scored a run.

Up Next
The Broncs return to action Friday, when they begin play in the UNC March Madness Tournament, hosted by the University of North Carolina. Rider faces the host Tarheels first at 4:30 p.m. before taking on Lafayette at 7 p.m.