Tuesday, April 15, 2025
Rider Broncs (13-26, 7-7 MAAC) vs. Marist Red Foxes (30-6-1, 7-1-1 MAAC)
Location: Lawrenceville, NJ – Herb and Joan Young Field
Live Video – BroncVision
Live Stats – GoBroncs.com
Twitter – Twitter.com/SoftballRider

What You Need To Know
- The Rider Softball team returns to The Island Tuesday, when it plays host to league-leading Marist in a doubleheader.
- The Broncs are winners of their last five, including the final game of a series at Canisius (Apr. 5) and doubleheader sweeps at Mount St. Mary's (Apr. 9) and vs. Merrimack (Apr. 13).
- In the sweep at Mount St. Mary's, the Broncs took a 5-0 win in Game 1 on the strength of a complete-game shutout with 10 strikeouts from Anna-Marie Groskritz. Rider immediately erupted for 13 runs in the top of the first of Game 2 en route to an 18-4 victory for the sweep. The 13 runs were the Broncs' most in a single inning since March 13, 2022 (vs. Morehead State) and the 18 runs for the game were Rider's most since an 18-4 win over Cleveland State on March 10, 2023.
- Four Broncs had at least four hits in the sweep at Mount St. Mary's, led by Kristyn Gardner with a 5-for-8 performance with four doubles, four runs scored and two RBI's. Kendall Reda-Fehsal and Olivia Burroughs had four hits apiece, with five and four RBI's, respectively. Abby Cruz also contributed four hits and four runs scored. Kiersten Buchanan chipped in with three hits, including a grand slam to drove in a team-high six runs.   
- Rider then took a pair of one-run games from Merrimack on April 13. Groskritz established a new career high with 11 strikeouts, allowing just one run on one hit, one walk and one hit-by-pitch over 7.0 innings pitched. She also earned the save in Game 2 and finishes with 13 strikeouts over 8.0 innings on the day. Offensively, Kendall Reda-Fehsal led the way with three hits and three RBI's.  
- Maddie Luedtke leads the Broncs' offense with a .325 average and six stolen bases, but has been sidelined since March 7 due to injury. Kristyn Gardner is next at .309 with a team-high 10 doubles and five home runs to go along with 17 RBI's and 11 runs scored. Abby Cruz is right behind Gardner at a .307 average and 17 RBI's, adding eight doubles, three home runs and nine runs scored. Fallyn Stoeckel has chipped in with a team-high 17 runs scored out of the leadoff spot, hitting .284 with eight doubles and 10 RBI's. Kendall Reda-Fehsal has also added a team-high 21 RBI's to go along with nine doubles, two home runs and 10 runs scored.  
- In the circle, Anna-Marie Groskritz has accounted for six of the Broncs' 13 victories and has added a save, posting a 2.49 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 84.1 innings pitched. Stoeckel (4-4, 3.62 ERA, 38.2 IP) and Kathryn Schmierer (3-11, 4.30 ERA, 96.0 IP) have also given the Broncs significant innings.
- Eight of Marist's nine starters in the line-up are hitting .272 or better, led by Hailey Ahr at a head-scratching .509 (54-106) with seven home runs, nine doubles, 38 RBI's and 32 runs scored. Miah McDonald has also hit .463 with 28 extra-base hits (8 doubles, 3 triples, 17 home runs), 48 RBI's and a team-best 53 runs scored and 13 stolen bases. Peyton Pusey is also hitting .410 with 52 runs scored, while Maddie Pleasants is also hitting .374 with 16 home runs and 49 RBI's.    
- In the circle, Kiley Myers has been the Red Foxes' top pitcher with a 15-1 record and a 0.71 ERA, striking out 60 over 89.1 innings pitched. Anna Sidlowski (6-2, 2.47 ERA, 21 K, 45.1 IP) and Maddie Pleasants (9-3, 2.55 ERA, 118 K, 79.2 IP) have also made significant contributions to the pitching staff.
- Gardner erupted for four hits, including two home runs and five RBI's in a doubleheader at Army West Point (Mar. 26).
- Rider earned a season-opening win over UMass (Feb. 21), before earning tournament victories at Kennesaw State (Feb. 28) and Georgia Southern (Mar. 9). The Broncs also split a doubleheader at Central Connecticut (Mar. 4) and swept a twinbill at Penn (Mar. 11). Most recently, they won 2-of-3 in their MAAC and home-opening series vs. Sacred Heart (Mar. 22-23).
- The Broncs were picked to finish third in the MAAC Preseason Poll, matching their 2024 finish in the league. Only once in at least the last 24 years has Rider been picked higher, when the Broncs were the preseason MAAC favorite in 2004. Rider was also picked third in 2005. Rider hadn't been picked higher than seventh since being tabbed fourth in 2007.  
- 2024 NFCA All-Northeast Region and All-MAAC Second Team honoree Fallyn Stoeckel returns after serving as a strong two-way player last season, ranking among the top 10 in the MAAC in batting average at .346, including a .490 clip in league games. She also made 24 appearances in the circle, including 12 starts, posting a 3.74 ERA.
- A pair of MAAC All-Rookie Team honorees also return in Kiersten Buchanan and Kendall Reda-Fehsal. Buchanan started 46 of 47 games played as the team's primary shortstop, hitting .315, finishing second on the team with 40 hits, including a team-high 10 doubles and two triples. She also added 15 runs scored and 16 RBI's. Reda-Fehsal hit .284 with five home runs to go along with a team-high 10 doubles and 28 RBI's. She also scored 17 runs and posted a .475 slugging percentage and .370 on-base percentage.
- Kristyn Gardner was also a constant for the Rider offense last season, making 36 starts in 45 games played between catcher and DP. She hit .324, good for third on the team, with three home runs, a team-high 10 doubles, 22 RBI's and 12 runs scored.
- Graduate student Anna-Marie Groskritz and senior Kathryn Schmierer lead an experience Rider pitching staff, along with Stoeckel and freshman Gabi Rodriguez. Groskritz led the Broncs in appearances (25), starts (18), wins (8), complete games (6), saves (3), innings pitched (101.2) and strikeouts (75), while finishing second in ERA (3.10). Schmierer posted a 6-5 record with a 3.43 ERA in 16 appearances, including eight starts in the circle.
- In addition to Rodriguez, Rider also welcomes eight additional newcomers in junior college transfer catcher/first baseman Vaye Savage (Midland, TX/Greenwood [Salem C.C.]), sophomore infielder Ceara O'Neal (Hamilton Square, NJ/Steinert) and freshmen outfielder Cami Johnson (Richland, NJ/Buena Regional), utility Shea Johnson (Carlsbad, CA/Cathedral Catholic), infield/utility Noelle Flail (Woolwich, NJ/Kingway Regional), second baseman/outfielder Emma Morgan (Mechanicsburg, PA/Cumberland Valley), utility Keegan St. Cyr (Hopkinton, NH/Hopkinton) and infielder Aspen Wheeler (Lampasas, TX/Lampasas). Redshirt freshman infielder Kayley York (Telford, PA/Souderton Area) will also see her first action as a Bronc after suffering a season-ending injury in Fall 2023.
- The Broncs are led by eighth-year Head Coach Davon Ortega. Rider's 28 wins in 2022 were the most in Ortega's tenure at Rider by a five-win margin (23, 2024). Following a 15-year absence, the Broncs made back-to-back MAAC Tournament appearances in 2021 and 2022 and returned in 2024.