Rider softball battles for winning week

By Lindsay Scarola

Rider softball hosted the Lehigh University Mountain Hawks in a one-game matchup,defeating them 9-8. They then continued their momentum on their own turf, taking two out of three games in a series against Canisius University.

Soaring over the Hawks

In the matchup on April 15, Lehigh started the game off hot, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, but Rider answered in the bottom half with a home run by senior outfielder Maddie Luedtke. 

In the second inning, junior catcher Kendall Reda-Fehsal, who earned MAAC Player of the Week honors on April 21, led off the inning with a solo shot to make it 3-2. 

Senior pitcher Fallyn Stoeckel ripped a double down the left field line, and after the Mountain Hawks committed an error, Stoeckel ran home, tying the game at three. 

Though Lehigh took the lead back in the top of the third inning, a second error was committed, putting a Bronc on base. 

With a runner on, Luedtke hit her second home run of the game, giving Rider a 5-4 lead. 

The score remained the same until the fifth inning, when Luedtke hit a single to get on base. Reda-Fehsal then hammered the ball over the fence for a two-run home run.

With the Mountain Hawks getting a run back in the sixth inning, sophomore first baseman Emma Morgan walked and sophomore pitcher Gabi Rodriguez got plunked to put runners on first and second base. 

Sophomore middle infielder Aspen Wheeler brought in one with a single, followed by a RBI sac bunt from sophomore utility Keegan St. Cyr for a 9-5 lead.

Lehigh would have a three-run home run in the top of the seventh inning, bringing the game within one. 

A two-out double put the tying run on base, however, the Broncs were able to close it out, securing a 9-8 win.

“Late in the game, my focus was really just on staying present and trusting our team,” Wheeler said. “In a high-scoring game like that, momentum can shift quickly, so it was important to stay composed and not let pressure speed us up.”

Majority rules

The momentum carried over into the three-game weekend series against Canisius.

In the April 17 game, Canisius started off strong, leading 2-0 at the start of the game before Rider came to the plate. 

In the bottom of the first inning with two outs, Rodriguez and Luedtke both singled to put runners on the corners for Reda-Fehsal. 

Her hit found a gap in the field for an RBI single, cutting the deficit to one run. 

After the Broncs led off the second inning with a double, Morgan placed a perfect bunt to leave runners on the corners with no outs.

Freshman middle infielder Sydney Savatt hit a sacrifice fly, scoring the runner from third to tie the game. 

Luedtke drew a walk in the following inning and advanced to second on a wild pitch, where junior catcher Abby Cruz drove in Luedtke with a single, putting Rider on top. 

However, due to an error by the Broncs, the Golden Griffins were able to tie the game in the fifth.  

Rider was able to fight back in the bottom half of the inning. Singles from St. Cyr and Luedtke put runners on for Reda-Fehsal, who delivered a two-run double for the 5-3 win.

In game one of the April 18 doubleheader, the Golden Griffins scored on a throwing error for an early lead. 

In the bottom of the second, Reda-Fehsal was hit by a pitch, and junior infielder Kiersten Buchanan then delivered a two-out RBI double, evening the score. 

The pitching and defense were locked in for the remainder of the game, forcing extra innings. Then, after a scoreless eighth, Canisius got three-straight hits in the ninth, bringing in a run. The Golden Griffins shut down the Broncs in the bottom half of the inning, taking game one 2-1. 

In game two, Cruz led off the bottom of the third with a double for the Broncs. A pair of wild pitches committed by Canisius would bring her home for a Bronc lead. 

Rider broke the game open in the fifth. Back-to-back singles put runners on, allowing Wheeler and St. Cyr to bring them home on back-to-back RBI singles. 

An error by the Golden Griffins extended the innings and loaded the bases for Reda-Fehsal. She worked the count, battling her way to a grand slam and extending Rider’s lead to seven runs. 

Despite a late push from Canisius, Rider held on for a 7-3 win to take the series.

“At this point in the season, the Broncs’ growth has been evident on both sides of the ball,” said Head Coach Davon Ortega. “Early in the season, our defense and pitching were struggling to find consistency. Now, our whole game is starting to work together.”

The Broncs will be away at Fairfield University on April 25 and 26 for a three-game series before heading home on April 28 for a doubleheader against Lafayette College.