MADISON, NJ – Sophomore first baseman
Monica Bagan's single through the middle brought home the winning run to highlight a five-run sixth inning which lifted Rutgers-Newark past FDU-Florham, 10-6, on McManus Field. The Scarlet Raiders earned a split of the non-conference doubleheader after the Devils posted a 10-1 win in the opener.
BOX SCORES & PLAY-BY-PLAY
FDU-Florham 10, Rutgers-Newark 1
Rutgers-Newark 10, FDU-Florham 6
Bagan, who went three for four with doubles in the first and third innings, plated freshman third baseman
AJ Affholter. Affholter had singled to tie the score a 6-6 and start the decisive rally with all five runs coming with two outs.
Bagan,
Gabby Spinella and
Stacey Jacovinich had three hits apiece as Rutgers-Newark (5-15) piled up 14 hits.
After FDU-Florham (7-11) scored four times in the bottom of the fifth to take a 6-5 lead, freshman shortstop
Carrie Wan singled with one out before Affholter started a chain of four straight two-out singles. Spinella singled ahead of Bagan before sophomore leftfielder
Nicole Odell slapped a two-run double through the middle. Odell scored on an infielder error following two wild pitches to cap the rally.
The Raiders took an early 3-0 lead when Wan, Jacovinich and Spinella singled ahead of Bagan's first double of the game in the first.
Spinella ripped a two-run double to rightfield in the fourth to stake Rutgers-Newark to a 5-1 lead before the Devils answered with one run in the fourth against starting pitcher
Brianna Alicchio and four in the fifth against reliever
Liane Drastal (2-5).
IN THE OPENER, Odell went two for three, but FDU-Florham pitcher Megan McInaw limited the Raiders to six hits in the six-inning contest while the Devils had a dozen hits against freshman
Allie Ronchi (0-2).
Back-to-back doubles by Bagan and Affholter provided the Raiders' lone run in the top of the sixth to make it 5-1, but the Devils erupted for five runs on two singles, two doubles and a game-ending two run home run in the bottom of the frame.
Rutgers-Newark hosts New Jersey City in a key New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader on Alumni Field on Saturday at 1 p.m.
