Games 40-41 (MEAC Series)
Morgan State (13-26, 9-9 MEAC) at Rider (17-27, 11-8 MAAC)
Date: Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Site: Lawrenceville, N.J. (Herb and Joan Young Field)
Time: 2/4 p.m.
TV: ESPN+
Live Audio: Here
Live Stats: Here
 
 
BALTIMORE, Md. (April 21, 2025)--Morgan State concludes its 2025 non-conference schedule on Wednesday, April 21, when it travels to Lawrenceville, N.J. to take on the Broncs of Rider in a doubleheader. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. at Herb and Joan Young Field. The games will air live on ESPN+. Fans can also follow the action live on HSRN.com and via live stats.
 
MSU-RU SERIES: Morgan State holds a 6-3 series lead over Rider dating back to the 2014 season, but Rider has won three of the last four meetings. Last season the Lady Bears and Broncs split the doubleheader in Baltimore on April 17, 2024. Morgan won the opener, 4-0 before falling, 3-1.
 
BEAR CLAWS: MEAC defending champion Morgan State (13-26, 9-9 MEAC) enters the contest having dropped its last seven consecutive contests, including being swept by MEAC leader Howard last weekend in Washington, D.C. The Bison would defeat the Lady Bears 5-2, 8-0 in six innings and 11-0 in 5 innings.
  
A LOOK AT RIDER: Rider (17-27, 11-8 MAAC), winners of three straight and nine of its last 10 games, is coming off a series sweep of Saint Peter's on the road in MAAC action. The Broncs would win the series 15-6, 6-0 and 5-4.
 
ON DECK: Morgan State will close out the regular season on the road at crosstown rival Coppin State on April 26-27. The two teams will meet in a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. and will conclude with a single game on Sunday at noon.      
 
2025 MEAC CHAMPIONSHIP: The 2025 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) softball championship tournament is scheduled for May 7-10, 2025 at NSU Softball Field, hosted by Norfolk State University.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
SAYING GOODBYE: Morgan State said goodbye to graduate player Victoria Fletcher, who played her final home contest of her career at Lois T. Murray Field on Sunday, April 13. Fletcher, a four-year starter for the Lady Bears, was honored prior to Sunday's contest against Norfolk State.
 
LADY BEARS SWEPT AT HOME: Morgan State was swept at home by visiting Norfolk State (April 13-14). It marked the first time since May 2017 that the Lady Bears were swept in a three-games series by a MEAC opponent. Former MEAC member Hampton was the last to accomplish that feat when the Lady Pirates also came into Baltimore and swept Morgan State at Lois T. Murray Field.
 
FLETCHER THROWS CAREER-HIGH 12 STRIKEOUTS: Graduate pitcher Victoria Fletcher set a career high, as she struck out 12 batters in the series finale at Maryland Eastern Shore (3/23). Fletcher, who went the distance and got the win, improved to 4-9 this season in the circle. The 12 strikeouts surpassed her previous high of eight strikeouts at Mount St. Mary's (3/10/22).
 
FLETCHER NAMED MEAC PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Victoria Fletcher was named MEAC Pitcher of the Week (March 24). It was the second weekly honor for Fletcher, who was also named pitcher of the week (March 10). A native of Huntington, Md., Fletcher posted a 2.61 ERA and went 2-1 in the circle to help Morgan State to a 4-1 week. She pitched 16.1 innings over three games and surrendered six earned runs on 13 hits. Fletcher recorded 19 strikeouts and set a career-high 12 strikeouts in the series finale at Maryland Eastern Shore.
 
GARNER NAMED MEAC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: Olivia Garner was named MEAC Rookie of the Week (March 24). It was the first weekly honor this season for Garner. She totaled five runs and five hits in 17 at-bats to help Morgan State to a 4-1 week. The West Chester, N.J. native recorded one double, drove in three RBI and tallied three stolen bases. In the series opener against Maryland Eastern Shore, Garner hit .666 with two hits, including a double, two runs, two RBI and a stolen base.
 
MORGAN DROPS FIRST MEAC SERIES SINCE 2023: The Lady Bears dropped their series finale to Delaware State, 7-6 on March 16, giving the Hornets a 2-1 series victory over Morgan State. The loss was the Lady Bears' first MEAC series loss in their last nine conference series. The last time Morgan State lost a MEAC series was April 15-16, 2023 against Maryland Eastern Shore.
 
RODRIGUEZ NAMED MEAC PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Morgan State sophomore Serena Rodriguez was named MEAC Pitcher of the Week (2/25). Rodriguez went 1-1 for the week, collecting an ERA of 0.64 in the circle. The Simi Valley, Calif., native pitched 11.0 innings, including a complete game against Fairleigh Dickinson. She surrendered just one earned run on 11 hits and struck out three batters. In the series finale victory over the Knights, Rodriguez went four scoreless innings, allowing four hits and struck out two batters to earn her first win of the season.
 
RIVAS NAMED MEAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Amber Rivas was named MEAC Player of the Week (2/10). It was her first MEAC weekly honor this season. A native of West Hill, Calif., Rivas batted .400 with three runs, four hits, an RBI, a walk and 16 putouts in three games. She recorded a hit and a stolen base in the opener against Le Moyne then followed with a 3-for-4 performance with two runs and an RBI in Game 2. Rivas ended the weekend with a run and a walk in a win over Mount St. Mary's.
 
PAGANO NAMED MEAC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: Olivia Pagano was named MEAC Rookie of the Week (2/10). It was her first MEAC weekly honor this season. Pagano had a batting average of .600 with six hits, including two doubles and two RBI through three games. A native of Staten Island, N.Y., Pagano went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a double in the opener against Le Moyne. In Game 2 against Le Moyne, she finished 4-for-4 with a double and an RBI, while adding a hit in the win over Mount St. Mary's.
 
FLETCHER NAMED MEAC PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Victoria Fletcher was named MEAC Pitcher of the Week (2/10). It was her first MEAC weekly honor this season. Fletcher threw 9.2 innings, going 1-1 in the circle with a 3.08 ERA. She surrendered six runs on 12 hits, three walks and struck out nine batters. A native of Huntington, Md., Fletcher ended the weekend with a complete game against Mount St. Mary's striking out six batters while allowing three runs in the 4-3 win.
 
RIVAS NAMED TO NFCA ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: Morgan State sophomore outfielder Amber Rivas was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division I Leadoff Classic All-Tournament Team (2/9). Rivas posted a .385 batting average over the opening weekend, recording five hits with one double, three RBI and a run scored in five games. She also tallied a walk and two stolen bases. A native of West Hills, Calif., Rivas recorded an RBI, walk and stolen base to help Morgan State defeat Notre Dame, 5-4 in the season opener. It was the program's first victory over an opponent of the newly constructed Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Rivas recorded her first hit of the season, which was a double and an RBI against Pittsburgh. She then went 2-for-3 at the plate against Bethune-Cookman and closed out the tournament with another 2-for-3 performance with a run and RBI and a stolen base in the finale against Marshall.
 
MORGAN TAKES DOWN NOTRE DAME IN SEASON-OPENER: Morgan State opened the season in the prestigious National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division I Leadoff Classic against Notre Dame and handed the Irish a 5-4 loss in the opener (2/7). The win was Morgan State's first-ever against a member of the newly constructed Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Notre Dame (0-1) entered the contest with an RPI ranking of 66^th, while Morgan State (1-0) was 183^rd. Playing in the Leadoff Classic for the first time in program history, the Lady Bears jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning. Morgan State would maintain its three-run advantage until the top of the fifth inning when the Irish scored three runs to even the score at 3-3. The Irish then added a run in the top of the sixth to pull ahead 4-3, its first lead of the contest. However, the lead would be short-lived, as the Lady Bears responded with two runs in the bottom half of the sixth inning, which proved to be the difference to give Morgan State the 5-4 victory. Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Preseason Player of the Year and MEAC first-team pitcher and utility selection, Victoria Fletcher went 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI and a walk. MEAC third-team selection Alison Keener also went 2-for-3 at the plate and scored a run.
 
 
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.