April 27, 2006 - Rider 5 Iona 3 / Rider 10 Iona 6
April 27, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
College Softball
Rider University 5, Iona College 3
Rider University 10, Iona College 6
Beintema - Career Win #60
NEW ROCHELLE, NY--The third time is the charm. After attempting to play Iona in a Metro Atlantic Atletic Conference doubleheader twice in the past five days, the Broncs finally got some cooperation from mother nature and defeated the Gaels twice to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Rider (17-22, 4-6 MAAC) won the opener 5-3 and defeated Iona (8-24, 2-4 MAAC) in the night cap 10-6.
For the Broncs, senior Heather Beintema (La Mesa, Calif./Grossmont) was credited with both wins in the doubleheader, and now has 60 in her Rider career.
"We played with intensity and a purpose," said head coach Tricia Carroll. "We played one pitch at a time and with the right energy."
The Broncs led the first game 1-0 on a home run by junior Ashley Boulden (Brooklawn, N.J./Gloucester), her second of the season before Iona rallied with solo home runs in the fifth and sixth innings to take a 2-1 lead.
With two outs in the seventh inning, sophomore Mandi Sekly (Canyon Country, Calif./Canyon) drew a walk. Junior Erin Murphy (Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough) pinch ran and scored on a double by senior Jill Carrabus (Bellport, N.Y./Bellport), tying the score at two.
Freshman Katy Mills (Seattle, Wash./Mount Rainier) followed with an RBI single to give Rider a 3-2 lead, with senior Jen Cullen (Lake Hopatcong, N.J./Immaculata) launching her second home run of the season putting the Broncs up 5-2 to seal the win.
"Katy's hit was HUGE," added Carroll. "She had a great at-bat and hit the ball well. She's been struggling in the past several weeks but she has stayed positive and has kept working hard and that effort has paid off for her and for us as a team in the past week."
In the second game, Rider staked freshman pitcher Lauren Brunner (Chino, Calif./Chino) to an early 6-2 lead, keyed by senior Jamie Farley (Clifton, N.J./Clifton), who belted her third home run of the season, a three-run shot to right center in the third inning.
"Brunner was pitching great," Carroll said. "And then Mandi [Sekly] got hurt in the fifth inning and we played the next few plays thinking about her, instead of the game and Iona was able to tie the score." Sekly was taken to the hospital for x-rays and a CAT scan on her head after being hit by a foul ball while on deck. "Mandi was on desk and the ball caught enough of the brim of her helmet so that she wasn't hit 100% in the face by the ball," Carroll said from the emergency room where Sekly was being treated. "We had an emotional letdown, made four errors and Iona was able to get back into the game. I brought Heather [Beintema] in to shut down Iona and she was able to do that and we, like the first game, got her some runs to work with."
Beintema allowed a single to the first batter she faced but that runner was thrown out at second to end the inning.
With the game tied at six in the sixth, the Broncs scored four times keyed by an RBI single from Farley and a sacrifice fly by Beintema.
Beintema then retired Iona in order in the sixth and seventh innings.
Cullen had four hits on the day, including career hit number 150. Boulden (Brooklawn, N.J./Gloucester) and sophomore Tiffany Day-Neutill (Agoura Hills, Calif./Oaks Christian) each had three hits in the doubleheader with Farley collecting four RBI’s in the second game.
"We definitely made the second game really interesting but we battled and that's what we have to continue to do to finish the season. Every MAAC game has the playoffs on the line and we need them all. We need 10 wins in the conference and it doesn't really matter how we get them, as long as we get them. We can do it if we play one pitch at a time and battle," Carroll added.
The Broncs host Saint Peter's and Siena in two MAAC doubleheaders this weekend.
-RU-
