LAWRECEVILLE, NJ – The Rider University softball team earned a double-header sweep Saturday afternoon, defeating Army West Point 9-6 in both contests. The Broncs move to 11-13 on the season, while the Black Knights are now 11-16 on the year.
 
Keegan St. Cyr (Hopkinton, NH/Hopkinton) got the Broncs going in game one, drawing a one-out walk. With two away, Abby Cruz (Corona, CA/Santiago) lifted a high fly ball to left that was lost in the sun, allowing the ball to fall in for an RBI-double.
 
Army countered with a pair of runs in the top of the second, but the Broncs quickly responded. Emma Morgan (Mechanicsburg, PA/Cumberland Valley) opened the inning with a single, then a Black Knight error put runners on first and second. With runners on second and third with one away, Shelby Dyer (Clarksboro, NJ/Kingsway Regional) and Aspen Wheeler (Lampasas, TX/Lampasas) hit back-to-back RBI singles giving Rider the lead back at 3-2. The Black Knights would tie the game at three in the top of the third.
 
In the fourth, Kiersten Buchanan (Holly Springs, NC/Holly Springs) drew a leadoff walk. Two batters later after Buchanan moved up to third, St. Cyr singled to drive in Buchanan and give the Broncs the lead. Rider added on in the fifth. Cruz led off the inning with a single, and Kendall Reda-Fehsal (Succasunna, NJ/Roxbury) followed with a walk. With two away and the runners on second and third, Buchanan, Dyer, and Wheeler all came through with RBI singles to extend the lead to 7-3.
 
In the sixth, Maddie Luedtke (Gibbstown, NJ/Gloucester County Institute of Technology) led off the inning with a single. After advancing on a pair of ground outs, Luedtke came in to score on a wild pitch. Morgan then started a new rally with a two-out single, and Fallyn Stoeckel (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) followed with a single of her own. An Army error allowed Morgan to score, putting Rider up 9-3 entering the seventh. The Black Knights scored three in the top of the seventh, but the Broncs were able to close out the game one victory.
 
Game two was a defensive struggle early. Wheeler led off the bottom of the first with a single, then moved up to third on a pair of ground outs. Reda-Fehsal then beat out an infield single to allow Wheeler to score with two outs. The Black Knights scratched across a run in the second, then another in the fourth to lead 2-1 into the sixth.
 
Army appeared to break the game open in the sixth, scoring five runs, all with two outs, extending the Black Knights' lead to 6-1. Wheeler got the Broncs going with one out in the bottom of the sixth, with a single. Two batters later, Lily Ornelas (Hernando, FL/Trinity Catholic) singled to put runners on first and second with two outs. Reda-Fehsal then drove in a run with a single and two runs scored on an Army error that trimmed the deficit to 6-4.
 
The Broncs continued to fight in the bottom of the seventh. An Army error kicked off the inning, then Sydney Savatt (Pittsburgh, PA/Avonworth) beat out an infield single. Two batters later, Wheeler hit a one-out single to load the bases and Stoeckel singled to left, driving in a run and keeping the bases loaded. After a ground ball that Army was able to get the runner out going to the plate for the second out, Reda-Fehsal stepped into the box. She fell behind 0-2 before taking a ball and fouling off a pair of pitches. Reda-Fehsal then crushed the sixth pitch of the at bat over the right field fence for a walk-off grand slam to give Rider the double-header sweep.
 
Quotes & Notes
"I like the fight and the collective team effort today. We're staying consistent with our bats, and even that second game when we didn't have a ton of hits early, we just kept chipping away, and I love that fight offensively. Defensively, our outfield came to play, so that was really good. We know that we believe in each other, everybody has the opportunity to contribute, and it gives us confidence, and it helps the pitchers, being able to give them the confidence knowing, if you make a mistake, the offense is going to have their back." – Head Coach Davon Ortega
 
"I went up to the plate, saying I'm not going to let her beat me. I was struggling a bit today, but I knew I had to get a hit  and win the game because I owe it to myself and the team. Our team has been doing such a good job hitting, and even if we are down, we feel like we can come back at any time. We know we're going to get one hit after another, go base to base, and score whatever runs we need. I was so happy [after hitting the grand slam], I don't even remember running around the bases or touching home. I was just so excited to celebrate with my teammates." – Junior First Baseman Kendall Reda-Fehsal
 
- Stoeckel got the start in the circle in game one, throwing all seven innings, allowing six runs, three earned on nine hits, to earn the win.
- Gabi Rodriguez (Chula Vista, CA/Olympian) started game two, throwing 5.2 innings, allowing six runs, five earned, and striking out two.
- Ornelas came out of the pen, throwing a scoreless 1.1 innings to earn the victory in game two.
- Ornelas' hit was the first of her collegiate career.
- Reda-Fehsal's home run is her fourth of the season and 16^th of her career.
 
Broncs By The Numbers
- Wheeler led Rider with five hits on the day.
- Reda-Fehsal added three hits across the pair of games.
- Stoeckel, Morgan, Luedtke, Cruz and Dyer each finished with a pair of hits.
- Buchanan scored three times to lead the Broncs on the day.
- Reda-Fehsal led Rider with six RBIs to lead the Broncs across the double header.
 
Up Next
The Broncs return to conference play Wednesday, traveling to Niagara for a double header starting at noon.