Box Score LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. – Rider held off a furious comeback from Saint Peter's to take a 14-12 victory in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) softball action on Tuesday. The second game of the doubleheader was postponed due to rain. Make up date to be announced.
Lee Harrison (Las Vegas, Nev./Coronado) paced the Peacocks (0-34, 0-11 MAAC) with a 4-for-5 performance with three runs scored and two RBIs. Kirsten Kelley (Seaford, N.Y./General Douglas McArthur) added two hits, two runs scored and two RBIs while Alyssa Cuevas (Sylmar, Calif./Bishop Alemany) added two hits, two runs scored and an RBI in the loss.
Kim Valdes powered the Broncs (6-34, 3-10 MAAC) with two hits, three RBIs and a run scored and Josettee Spencer went 4-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBIs. Dana Sensi posted a hit, three RBIs and a run scored and Monica Clark registered three hits, two RBIs and a run scored in the loss.
Rider jumped out to a big lead and watched as Saint Peter's made a huge rally, but held on for the victory.
Trailing 10-0 in the opener, the Jersey City team scored 12 of the final 16 runs to nearly rally to tie the game.
The Peacocks scored two in the second to cut the margin to 10-2. Harrison reached on an error and Crystal Carlucci (Iselin, N.J./John F. Kennedy Memorial) hit a sacrifice fly to left to bring home Harrison. Kelley then singled down the right field line and moved to third on a error on the play and then came around score on Nicole Feoli's (Burlington Township, N.J./Burlington) RBI single to left.
The Broncs added a run in the third aided by an error before Saint Peter's posted three runs in the fourth to cut the margin to 11-5. Sophia Perez (Bridgewater, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham Regional) walked and scored on Stacey Klempel's (Winter Garden, Fla./Ocoee) RBI double to left field before Klempel touched home on Cuevas' run-scoring single to left. Cuevas scored when Jackie Riley (South Amboy, N.J./Cardinal McCarrick) reached on an error.
A two-run fifth made it a four-run game. Harrison reached on an infield single and stole second before Carlucci walked and Kelley was hit by a pitch to load the bases. After Perez reached on a fielder's choice that allowed Harrison score on an error, Feoli smacked an RBI single to left to trim the margin to 11-7.
Rider added three runs in the fifth to restore a seven-run lead thanks to a Sensi RBI grounder and a two-run double by Valdes.
Just like Sunday against Niagara, the Jersey City team made a seventh-inning rally that came up short.
With one out, Cuevas singled to right center before Harley Connors (Mason, Ohio/William Mason) walked and Samantha Storms (Lake Geneva, Wisc./William Bay) was hit with a pitch to load the bases. Harrison then brought home both Cuevas and Storms on a two-run single. After Carlucci reloaded the bases with a single to left field, Kelley smacked a two-run double down the left field line to score Harrison and Storms. The Broncs got of the jam and ended the game with a groundout and a pop up to secure a 14-12 victory.
The Broncs started the day with 10 runs in the first inning. Spencer started the offensive outburst with an RBI single to left before Sensi hit a sacrifice fly and Valdes plated a run on an RBI double. After Emily Cottrell doubled home a run to left center and Kiera Swank had a run-scoring single, Clark smacked a two-run single to left center. Spencer, who started the scoring, registered her second RBI of the stanza on a run-scoring single to center and Sensi capped the 10-run inning with an RBI single.
Saint Peter's then made a furious comeback attempt, but Rider held on for the win.
Riley took the loss for the Peacocks.
The Peacocks return to action on Wednesday at Iona. First pitch is 2 p.m.
