April 18, 2007 - Marist 5 Rider 3 / Marist 2 Rider 1
April 18, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
College Softball
Marist College 5, Rider University 3
Marist College 2, Rider University 1
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y.—Despite five hits on the day from junior Tiffany Day-Neutill, the Broncs were swept in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference doubleheader Wednesday afternoon. “I thought both of our pitchers threw the ball well,” said head coach Tricia Carroll. “One play here or there and we come home with two conference wins.”
Down 3-1, in the opener, Rider tied the game in the fifth inning with Day-Neutill (Agoura Hills, Calif./Oaks Christian) hitting her third home run of the season scoring freshman Megan Kozlowski (Richboro, Pa./Council Rock-North) who had singled.
Marist scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth on four hits for the final score.
“Jess [junior Jessica Holland] (Hatboro, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) pitched great,” said Carroll. “It was a good outing. We misplayed a couple of fly balls, plays that are hits in the box score but we know we should have caught them. And that was the difference. Both games were well played and we had some great at-bats. We are showing a lot of patience and discipline at the plate. It was a matter of us having chances to score and not and having chances to keep Marist from scoring but didn’t.” Holland scattered nine hits in the complete game effort.
Day-Neutill had two hits and two RBI for the Broncs in game one and now has 133 career hits, 25th best all-time at Rider.
“It is definitely hard losing games,” said Day-Neutill. “You are just as good as the teams you are playing but we aren’t getting the result in the win column. We are more competitive than we were at the start of the season and we just need to find a way to win some games. We are still having fun, we are staying positive and that’s what will turn it around for us.”
Marist jumped out to a two-run first inning lead before Rider used two Red Fox errors, and a fielders’ choice by Day-Neutill to score freshman Candice Harris (Las Vegas, Nev./Coronado) and make the score 2-1.
In the nightcap, Harris broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning with an RBI double, scoring senior Desiree Harbaugh (Frederick, Md./Gov. Thomas Johnson) who had walked. Marist scored twice in the fifth inning on two solo home runs for the final score.
Sophomore Lauren Brunner (Chino, Calif./Chino) threw a complete game four-hitter for Rider recording two strikeouts.
“Lauren pitched great,” Carroll added. “One bad pitch went over the fence and the other home run the hitter just went and got. It was a good pitch and an even better hit by the batter.”
The Broncs who have lost 11 straight host Fairfield and Canisius on Saturday and Sunday in a pair of MAAC doubleheaders.
“It’s a little frustrating,” said Carroll. “We’ve been in most of our games and had opportunities to turn the result the other way. We just haven’t gotten that one big hit to get the lead back. But we are battling, we are staying positive and we are going to keep working hard. We looked good but Marist was just a couple of hits better.”
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