LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Shea Johnson (Carlsbad, CA/Cathedral Catholic) went 4-for-8 with a double, a triple, three RBI's and a run scored as the Rider University softball team split it's home and MAAC-opening doubleheader with Sacred Heart, taking Game 1, 9-6, before falling in Game 2, 11-4, Saturday afternoon at Herb and Joan Young Field. With the split, the Broncs move to 7-18 (1-1 MAAC), while the Pioneers are now 10-11 (1-1 MAAC).

The Broncs jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Abby Cruz's (Corona, CA/Santiago) solo home run in the bottom of the second. They'd tack on five more with a two-out rally in the fifth. Keegan St. Cyr (Hopkinton, NH/Hopkinton) singled home Olivia Burroughs (Escondido, CA/San Pasqual), who'd doubled earlier in the frame. Fallyn Stoeckel (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) followed with an RBI double and Johnson's single scored another. Kristyn Gardner (Perryville, MD/Perryville) capped the scoring with a two-run home run off the top of the left-field wall and over to make it 6-0 Broncs.

The teams exchanged three-run frames in the sixth, with a two-out RBI single from Stoeckel and a two-out, two-run double from Johnson accounting for the Broncs' runs. A two-out three-run home run in the top of the seventh for Sacred Heart cut the Broncs' lead to three, but Kathryn Schmierer (Racine, WI/Racine Lutheran) buckled down to get the final out and close out the Broncs' victory.

Sacred Heart put the pressure on immediately in Game 2 with three-straight singles to load the bases before an error on a fielder's choice plated the first two runs. The Pioneers would score four in the inning, adding a sacrifice fly and an RBI single. Rider followed suit with three-straight singles to open the bottom of the first, the last from Gardner scoring Stoeckel to cut the deficit to 4-1. But, after a walk to load the bases with no outs, Sacred Heart pitcher Emily Heath struck out the next two and got an inning-ending lineout.

The Pioneers pushed two more across in the third on a two-out, sun-aided double to center, as well as a dropped fly ball. Johnson tripled to lead off the bottom of the third and scored on Kendall Reda-Fehsal's (Succasunna, NJ/Roxbury) double to make it 6-2 Sacred Heart after three.

A pair of two-out RBI singles in the fourth pushed Sacred Heart's lead to 8-2 and the advantage swelled to 11-2 in the fifth on three singles and two walks. Rider warded off the mercy rule with two runs scoring on Burroughs' RBI single, with the second run coming home on an errant throw to make it 11-4. But those were the final runs scored of the game, with Sacred Heart coming away with the victory and a split on the day.

Notes
- Schmierer went the distance in Game 1, allowing six earned runs on nine hits, two walks and two HBP's. She struck out one. She also pitched 2.1 scoreless innings of relief in Game 2, limiting the Pioneers to two hits and a HBP, striking out one.
- Stoeckel started Game 2 in the circle, but recorded just one out. She allowed four runs, three earned, on five hits.
- Gabi Rodriguez (Chula Vista, CA/Olympian) pitched 4.1 innings of relief in Game 2, allowing seven runs, six earned, on nine hits, two walks and a hit-by-pitch.

Broncs by the Numbers
- Johnson went 4-for-8 with a double, a triple, three RBI's and a run scored.
- Gardner added a 3-for-6 effort with a home run, three RBI's and two runs scored. She also walked twice.
- Cruz doubled, homered, drove in two and scored one. She also walked twice.  
- St. Cyr chipped in with a 2-for-5 afternoon with two runs scored, an RBI and a walk.
- Stoeckel went 3-for-8 with a double, two RBI's and three runs scored.
- Burroughs added two hits, including a double, and drove in one.
- Kiersten Buchanan (Holly Springs, NC/Holly Springs) singled and scored twice.
- Reda-Fehsal doubled and drove in a run.

Up Next
The Broncs and Pioneers close out their three-game set with a single game tomorrow at noon. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.