NEWARK, NJ – Rutgers-Newark could not hold a 5-0 edge in the nightcap as Rutgers-Camden fought for an 8-0 and 7-5 New Jersey Athletic Conference sweep on Alumni Field. In game one, Raptor senior Natalie Powell and junior Angie Arpino combined for an abbreviated no-hitter.
NCAA Box Scores & Play-by-Play
R-C 8, R-N 0 R-C 7, R-N 5
In game two, the Raptors (13-5, NJAC 3-1) pushed across five runs in the bottom of the fifth. Powell got her second win of the day, coming on in relief in the top of the sixth to strike out three and yield just a single in two complete innings.
Sophomore third baseman Ashley Angeli gave the Raiders (1-15, NJAC 0-4) at 4-0 lead in the fourth with an inside-the-park home run which carried over the first base bag.
Sophomore centerfielder Jessica Zelaya, who went three for four, pushed the Rutgers-Newark lead to 5-0 in the fifth by singling, moving to second on a wild pitch and coming home on back-to-back infield grounders.
Freshman rightfielder Courtney Breauxsaus and Zelaya singled and scored on a throwing error and a fielder's choice, respectively, to stake the Raiders to a 2-0 edge in the third.
Freshman leftfielder Lauren Hatzelhoffer who went two for three, tripled to right centerfield to start the bottom of the sixth and scored what proved to be the winning run when the throw from the outfield was mishandled. The Raptors added an insurance run on a double by
Arpino, an infield grounder and a wild pitch.
Hatzelhoffer ignited the fifth-inning outburst which tied the game by singling home junior first baseman Stephanie Lento who had tripled to lead off the frame. An Arpino double set up an RBI single by junior centerfielder Nikki DiVece to make it 5-2 and load the bases before a bases-clearing fielding error knotted the score.
Freshman pitcher Amber Affholter was the hard-luck loser in the second game, giving up just four earned runs on nine hits while walking three in six full innings.
In game one, Powell struck out four and allowed only a second-inning lead-off walk to freshman designated player Kat Renteria in four full innings before turning the game over to Arpino in the fifth. Arpino put the Scarlet Raiders down in order, striking out the final two batters.
Freshman catcher Erika Drayton went two for five with a bases-loaded walk in the three-run first inning, an RBI single in the two-run second inning and a three-run homer to leftfield in the fourth to take a part all of the Scarlet Raptors' scoring spurts.
