NEWARK, NJ – Rutgers-Newark came painfully close to registering a New Jersey Athletic Conference upset, falling to Rutgers-Camden 4-1 an 4-3 in a doubleheader on Alumni Field.

BOX SCORES & PLAY-BY-PLAY
Rutgers-Camden 4, Rutgers-Newark 1
Rutgers-Camden 4, Rutgers-Newark 3

IN GAME ONE, sophomore first baseman Monica Bagan doubled down the leftfield line and scored on a single by freshman Liane Drastal in the fourth to knot the score at 1-1, but Scarlet Raptor junior pitcher Amanda Cassella allowed only one single the rest of the way to stop the Scarlet Raiders (9-25, NJAC 2-14).

Cassella (15-10) hurled a five hitter while junior catcher Erika Drayton cracked a two run double in the sixth inning to stake the Scarlet Raptors (16-16, NJAC 8-8) to the final three-run edge.

Freshman pitcher Brianna Alicchio (0-7) gave up just two earned runs while scattering nine hits, striking out four and walking three to take the loss.

IN GAME TWO, Cassella got the win to edge Raider sophomore righthander Angela Riscinti. Cassella struck out seven and walked one while yielding eight hits while Riscinti (4-11) gave up just six singles while striking out one and walking three.

A two-run, two-out home run down the rightfield line by Bagan capped a three-run rally which knotted the score at 3-3, but the Raptors answered with the winning run in the bottom of the frame.

Sophomore shortstop Kaitlyn Gaskill drew a walk and Tamburrino singled through the left side with one out before they moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Freshman centerfielder Gabrielle Colon delivered a sacrifice fly to centerfield to plate what proved to be the winning run.

Freshman shortstop Carrie Wan, who laced an RBI triple to start the Raiders' fifth-inning rally, was the only Rutgers-Newark player with two hits.

Rutgers-Newark visits St. Elizabeth College on Thursday for a 3 p.m. non-conference twinbill before closing out the season on Alumni Field on Friday and Saturday.

The Raiders host Baruch College on Friday at 4:30 p.m. before celebrating Senior Day with a season-ending NJAC doubleheader against Richard Stockton. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. with seniors Jessica Zelaya, Ashley Angeli and Emily Ibarra taking their final bows in Scarlet & Black.