KENNESAW, GA – Rider University softball junior pitcher
Fallyn Stoeckel (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) pitched 8.0 innings of one-run ball as the Broncs took a 2-1 win over Kennesaw State to split a pair of games at the Kennesaw State Tournament Friday. The Broncs opened the day with a 8-0 loss to St. John's in five innings, before bouncing back to earn the 2-1 win over the Owls in the nightcap. The Broncs move to 2-5 with the results.
St. John's pitcher Loreley Francia was the story in the first game, as she spun a five-inning no-hitter, striking out 12 Broncs without allowing a hit or a walk. The only blemish on the Red Storm's line preventing a perfect game was an error in the fourth inning. St. John's scored two in the first inning, one in the second, two more in the fourth and activated the mercy rule with three in the fifth.
Rider immediately turned its fortunes around in the top of the first inning against Kennesaw State, with Stoeckel helping herself out with a one-out single, moving to second on an
Olivia Burroughs (Escondido, CA/San Pasqual) single and scoring on an error. The score remained 1-0 Rider until there were two out in the bottom of the seventh. Kennesaw State got a two-out single from Macie Howes, followed by a game-tying RBI double from Briana Bumbalough. But Stoeckel got a flyout to end the inning and sent it to extra's.
Cami Johnson (Richland, NJ/Buena Regional) pinch ran for Stoeckel and was placed on second via the international tiebreaker to begin the top of the eighth. After Burroughs was hit by a pitch, the runners stole second and third, still with no outs. The Owls got a strikeout for the first out, but
Kendall Reda-Fehsal (Succasunna, NJ/Roxbury) delivered a sacrifice fly to score Johnson and put Rider on top, 2-1. Kennesaw sacrificed the runner from second to third to open the bottom of the eighth, but couldn't score, as Stoeckel got a groundout to third for the second out and the final threat also lined out to Burroughs at third to end the game.
Notes
- Stoeckel went the full 8.0 innings against Kennesaw State, allowing just one earned run on five hits and one walk.
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Anna-Marie Groskritz (Granby, CT/Granby Memorial) started against St. John's and took the loss. She allowed three earned runs on three hits and four walks, striking out two over 2.0 innings pitched.
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Kathryn Schmierer (Racine, WI/Racine Lutheran) also pitched 2.0 innings of relief against St. John's, allowing five earned runs on seven hits and a walk, striking out one.
Broncs by the Numbers
- Stoeckel, Burroughs and Reda-Fehsal had one single each vs. Kennesaw State.
- Stoeckel also walked and scored a run.
- Reda-Fehsal drove in both Rider runs vs. the Owls.
- Making her Rider debut,
Keegan St. Cyr (Hopkinton, NH/Hopkinton) walked twice.
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Aspen Wheeler (Lampasas, TX/Lampasas) also walked once.
- Burroughs was also hit by a pitch.
Up Next
The Broncs return to action Kennesaw State Tournament action Saturday, when they play a single 4 p.m. game vs. St. Louis University. The tournament wraps up Sunday with a pair of games vs. St. Louis (10 a.m.) and Kennesaw State (5 p.m.).