March 24, 2007 - Villanova 13 Rider 2
March 24, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
College Softball
Villanova University 13, Rider University 2
LAWRENCEVILLE—The Broncs lost the opening game of the Rider Invitational Saturday morning. “I’m not upset so much that we lost,” said head coach Tricia Carroll. “I’m upset with the way we lost. We didn’t compete, we lost our composure and that cost us the game.”
The Wildcats had 16 hits including four doubles. Cassie Koenig hit two home runs for Villanova and had four RBI on the day.
The Broncs were held to one-hit, a double by senior Ashley Boulden (Brooklawn, N.J./Gloucester), with junior Tiffany Day-Neutill (Agoura Hills, Calif./Oaks Christian) and freshman Candice Harris (Las Vegas, Nev./Coronado) each scoring runs for Rider (4-12).
“You can’t give any team six or seven runs, let alone Villanova,” said Carroll. “They have a strong team but we need to be more competitive no matter who we are playing.”
Villanova jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning and scored five in the third off of six hits to break the game open.
“We seem to have a lack of concentration,” Carroll added. “You have a bad at-bat and it is still affecting us two innings later and that can’t happen. We have to take one pitch at a time and one play at a time. We have to be mentally stronger.”
“Even though we only had one hit, we did put the ball in play,” Carroll said. “We didn’t have a ton of strikeouts and Villanova made some nice plays.”
“I thought Lauren [Brunner] pitched ok,” Carroll said. “We didn’t make any plays behind her. I thought she hung in there against a strong BIG EAST team and kept them off balance.”
Brunner, a sophomore went four innings before sophomore Laci Landrum (Grand Praire, Texas/So. Grand Praire) finished for the Broncs.
“I’m frustrated because we seem to be a half a step behind,” said Carroll. “We are letting things happen instead of taking charge of the game.”
The Broncs face Lafayette and Monmouth on Sunday in the final day of the tournament.
-RU-
