May 5, 2007 - Rider 3 Niagara 1 / Niagara 6 Rider 5
May 5, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
College Softball
Rider University 3, Niagara University 1
Niagara University 6, Rider University 5
LAWRENCEVILLE—Back to the Future. No, not the movie, just a sun splashed day at Rider softball.
On a day which saw Rider looking back in order to see what the future could hold, the Broncs split a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference doubleheader against Niagara on Saturday. “I really think we fought hard in both games,” said head coach Tricia Carroll. “But the second game in particular summed up what we’ve been dong all season. We were aggressive but made mistakes and Niagara was one hit better than we were. We took a lead, got down, battled back, lost the lead and then almost won the game.”
Rider honored the 10-year anniversary of the 1997 Northeast Conference champion and NCAA qualifying softball team in between games of the doubleheader with over 80 percent of the team making it back to campus for the event and picnic.
“That team, the 1997 team from an alumni stand point really got everyone to start supporting the program again and we have really benefited from that support and contributions to the program,” said Carroll. “Today was a very special day, seeing almost the whole team make it back to campus. We only graduate two seniors so our returning players got to see a little of what the past was like and hopefully they can take something from the day and maybe put a banner on the fence for themselves in the future.”
“It was a great day, a nice event and I was as happy as I could be with the effort that everyone put in to make it happen,” Carroll added. “I put a lot of pressure on Sports Information Secretary Lynn Rugg to get everyone back and she did a great job helping to pull the event together and current assistant Michelle Walsh did a great job getting the gifts together and working out a lot of the details. They [the players] have all moved on with their lives but they haven’t forgotten us I’m glad that the current players got to experience the event because I think it will help them see the bigger picture once they have graduated from Rider.”
Junior Jessica Holland (Hatboro, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) threw a complete game six-hitter with six strikeouts for the win, her fourth of the season. “Jess pitched awesome,” said Carroll. “It was nice that we played some defense behind her and we did enough, just enough to win that game.”
Down 1-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning of game one, Rider (9-36, 3-11 MAAC) senior Ashley Boulden (Brooklawn, N.J./Gloucester) had an RBI single to left field to give the Broncs a 2-1 lead with Rider adding another run courtesy of a Niagara error on the same play. A fielder’s choice by sophomore Lauren Brunner (Chino, Calif./Chino) scored senior Desiree Harbaugh (Frederick, Md./Gov. Thomas Johnson) who led off the inning with a single. Harbaugh’s hit broke up a no-hit bid by Niagara’s Brooke Viola who allowed only two walks and retired 12 of the first 14 batters she faced. Viola finished with a complete game three-hitter.
“We’ve just worked hard to get better,” said Boulden. “Even when we heard that we were out of the running for MAAC’s, we continued to work hard, to make ourselves better and to enjoy what we were doing. We play softball because we love the game and we are out there trying to upset some teams as they try for MAAC’s.”
“A ball game is a ball game,” added Boulden who along with Harbaugh will complete their collegiate careers on Sunday. “We go out and try to win every game and play every game like it could be the last. For Des and I, we’re kind of sad thinking about it but when we step out on the field, we not seniors, we’re ball players and we’ve been taking that approach.”
In the second game, Brunner pitched a complete game allowing no earned runs as Rider made four errors in the 6-5 loss.
“We had bases loaded twice, but were a big hit away and that’s been how it has been going,” said Carroll. “It’s frustrating but Niagara was just a hit better and sometimes that is going to happen. We took things away from Niagara because we were playing aggressive but in the end, some of that aggressive play led to the runs that were posted in the late innings.”
The Broncs jumped out to a 2-0 lead scoring single runs in the first and second innings on a Niagara error and a Boulden RBI double. Boulden had four hits on the day, including three in the second game.
Down 3-2 in the third inning, the Broncs tied the score on a home run by freshman Derrin Minunni (Cohoes, N.Y./Shaker), the first of her collegiate career. Minunni had two hits in the second game.
The Purple Eagles scored a single run in the sixth and two in the seventh, opening up a 6-3 lead before a two-run Rider rally fell short with the bases loaded. Junior Tiffany Day-Neutill, who left the game in the second inning with an injury, re-entered the game in the seventh and promptly hit an RBI single to get the Broncs to within two at 6-4. After a based loaded walk made the score 6-5, Niagara starter Tiffany McCrory re-entered the game, and got a force out at home and a strike out to end the game.
“It’s frustrating because we can play,” said Carroll. “Niagara is a team that is going to the tournament and we split with them. We can play with anyone in the league and the difference between all of the teams is very small. If we get the ball to bounce our way a few times or put the ball in play a little more, the season could have been much different.”
The Purple Eagles clinched the third seed at the conference championship at Fairfield next weekend with the doubleheader split.
Rider hosts Iona in the final MAAC doubleheader of the season at 1:00pm on Sunday.
The Broncs will celebrate senior day between games, honoring May graduates Ashley Boulden and Desiree Harbaugh. “It’s sad thinking about the final games,” Boulden added. “I had the benefit of going through a senior day in field hockey but then being able to play softball so it might be a little different on Sunday when it is my final collegiate athletic event at Rider. I have great memories of just being out here with my teammates and being one with a team.”
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