May 2, 2006 - Rider 4 Fairfield 2 / Rider 9 Fairfield 1
May 2, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
College Softball
Rider University 4, Fairfield University 2
Rider University 9, Fairfield University 1 (5 innings)
Broncs in Playoffs
FAIRFIELD, CT--Never a doubt. The Rider softball team began the season 1-5 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and when the team was 2-6, was pretty much given up for dead. Then the Broncs proceeded to win eight consecutive conference games, capped by a sweep at Fairfield Tuesday to finish 10-6 in the league and qualify for the MAAC playoffs for the third time in the last four years. “There was never a doubt that we were capable of doing this,” said Rider head coach Tricia Carroll, “but being capable of doing something and actually doing it are two different things. The last eight games we were on a mission. This has to be the greatest eight-game winning streak in the history of Rider softball.”
In the first game Tuesday, senior Jen Cullen (Lake Hopatcong, N.J./Immaculata) had three of Rider’s eight hits, including a pair of doubles, and senior Jamie Farley (Clifton) hit a three run home run to give Rider a 4-1 lead in the third inning. “Farley’s hit was phenomenal,” said Carroll. “We needed that, and she needed that. She’s one of our key seniors and she’s been struggling lately.”
“Jamie’s hit was huge,” said Cullen, who had four hits in the doubleheader, including three doubles, and now has a team-high 61 hits on the season and 164 in her career, 13th highest ever at Rider. “Everyone pulled together today. This is the closest team I’ve ever been on, with everyone picking each other up.”
“Jen has been on fire during this run,” said Carroll. “Her leadership, both emotionally and on the field, has been the constant during this streak.”
In the second game, Rider (23-22, 10-6 MAAC) broke open a 2-0 game with five runs in the third inning, as senior Jill Carrabus (Bellport, NY) hit an RBI double and sophomore Tiffany Day Neutill (Agoura Hills, Calif./Oaks Christian) hit a three-run double.
Senior Heather Beintema (La Mesa, CA/Grossmont) earned the victory in game one, striking out five without allowing a walk.
Freshman Lauren Brunner (Chino, CA) pitched the second game, allowing just one unearned run. “Lauren pitched so well the second game,” said Carroll. “She was great.”
Junior Nichole Mears (Simi Valley, CA/Royal) hit a two-run home run to end the second game in the fifth inning.
“When we were 2-6 we knew we had put ourselves in a big hole,” said Carroll, “but we also knew we were not done. This senior class has experienced a lot of great things.”
As freshmen, the class of 2006 were all starters and won the MAAC Championship and advanced to the NCAA tournament at Cal State Fullerton. As sophomores they won the MAAC regular season, and advanced to the MAAC tournament championship game before losing to Canisius in the finals. “Being a veteran group with success in the past, there was a lot of pressure. We had very high expectations of this team,” said Carroll. “Once we fell into a hole, we addressed those pressures as a group, and were able to overcome them.”
“This is our last year, so making the playoffs meant everything,” said Cullen. “We didn’t want to have to rely on help from other teams to get into the tournament. We needed to go out and win two today. Back when we were 2-6, we knew we could do this, we just needed to take one game at a time, and we did.”
Rider plays at Towson Wednesday, and hosts Princeton in the regular season finale Saturday for Senior Day. The four-team MAAC Championship Tournament is May 12-13 in Stratford, CT.
“The scary part is, we’ve won these last eight games without the entire lineup all contributing at once,” said Carroll. “One game one person would come up with the big hit, another game we’d get great pitching, another game we would do it with defense. If we can get all aspects of the game going at once, look out.”
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