OMAHA, NE – Freshman first baseman Kendall Reda-Fehsal (Succasunna, NJ/Roxbury) knocked her first collegiate home run, a three-run shot in the top of the sixth, but the Rider University softball team was edged by Valparaiso, 6-5, to open play at the Connie Claussen Classic Saturday afternoon. With the loss, the Broncs fall to 4-6, while the Beacons are now 6-15.

Valpo opened the scoring in the third with the leadoff batter reaching and advancing to second on an error, taking third on a sacrifice bunt and scoring on a bunt popped over the charging third baseman and pitcher for a 1-0 lead. Rider would tie the game in the fifth and looked to have taken the lead. Jadeyn Merrill (Lamesa, TX/Lamesa) singled, took second on a sacrifice bunt and, after an Olivia Burroughs (Escondido, CA/San Pasqual) walk, pinch runner Olivia Smith (Freehold, NJ/Freehold Township) scored on Kristyn Gardner's (Perryville, MD/Perryville) pinch-hit single up the middle. Runners moved up to second and third on the throw home, before pinch hitter Laneya Wright (Tucson, AZ/Marana) popped up down the right field line. Valpo second baseman Alexis Johnson made a running catch near the foul line and threw late trying to catch Burroughs, who'd tagged from third, at the plate. But Burroughs was ruled to have left early by the third-base umpire, leaving the score tied at 1-1.  

The Beacons would add five runs in the bottom of the fifth to retake a 6-1 lead. The leadoff batter reached on a bloop single to center, before the next batter reached on a high fly ball to left that was overrun into foul territory, but landed fair for a base hit, leaving runners on second and third. After the Broncs recorded the first out, the two runners scored on a routine ground ball to second that was thrown away for an error. A two-run home run and an RBI double capped the scoring for Valpo.

Rider would chip away with three runs in the sixth and another in the seventh. Amanda Cooper (Huntsville, TX/Huntsville) singled and Tristen Wren (Rancho Cucamonga, CA/Etiwanda) reached on an error to put two runners on with one out for Reda-Fehsal, who sent a shot over the center field wall for a three-run home run, cutting the deficit to 6-4.

In the seventh, Burroughs and Asiah Bell (Tucson, AZ/Canyon Del Oro [Central Ariz. Coll.]) walked consecutively to put the tying runs on with no outs. After Valpo got the first out, Jessie Niegocki (Marana, AZ/Mountain View) ripped a double to center, scoring Burroughs. But Bell was ruled out on a bang-bang play at the plate and the Beacons held on for the 6-5 victory.

Notes
- Kathryn Schmierer (Racine, WI/Racine Lutheran) started and took the loss in the circle, allowing six runs, three earned, on nine hits. She struck out two.
- Fallyn Stoeckel (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) pitched 1.1 innings of scoreless, hitless relief.
- The home run was the first of Reda-Fehsal's collegiate career.

Broncs by the Numbers
- Reda-Fehsal hit a three-run home run to push her team-leading RBI total to 10 on the year.
- Niegocki went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
- Cooper singled and scored a run.
- Gardner added an RBI single.
- Merrill also added a single.
- Wren and Smith each scored a run.  

Up Next
The Broncs return to action Sunday, when they continue play in the Connie Clausen Classic, hosted by the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The Broncs face Kansas City at noon and Nebraska Omaha at 4:30 p.m. (ET).