CLERMONT, FL – Rutgers-Newark junior leftfielder
Nicole Odell's diving catch saved the game in a 4-3 win over Wesleyan University as the Scarlet Raiders split a pair of contests in their final day at the NTC Spring Games. Lesley College downed the Raiders, 7-3, in the final spring break game.
BOX SCORES & PLAY-BY-PLAY
Rutgers-Newark 4, Wesleyan 3
Lesley 7, Rutgers-Newark 3
With runners on first and second Odell laid out to snare a fly ball down the left field line to give the Raiders (4-5) their second 4-3 win in less than 24 hours. R-N rallied past Macalester by the same score on Wednesday night.
Sophomore pitcher
Brianna Alicchio scattered eight hits, struck out two and walked one as the Raiders survived five errors to post the win over the Cardinals.
Junior third baseman
Monica Liotto singled through the middle to bring home the tying and winning runs for the Raiders with two out in the fifth. Freshman second baseman
Kelsey Lucas doubled behind a walk by sophomore
Tiara Santi to lead off inning before Cardinal pitcher Haylee Reidy struck out the next two batters to set up the showdown with Liotto.
A pair of infield errors gave the Raiders a 2-1 lead in the third inning before Wesleyan got three singles to regain the lead at 3-2 in the fourth.
In the second game, Lesley scored four runs in the third inning on three singles, a double, a walk and a hit batter to break open the contest. The Lynx out-hit the Raider, 12-8.
Rutgers-Newark led 1-0 after Lucas led off the game with a single, moved to third on a single to right center field by Liotto and scored on a grounder to first by junior first baseman
Monica Bagan.
The Raiders trimmed their deficit to 4-3 in the fourth when Bagan, sophomore
Gabby Spinella and Santi each doubled to produce two runs. Affholter also beat out an infield single during the inning.
Drastal struck out two and walked two while hurling the complete game for the Raiders.
Rutgers-Newark hosts Mount St. Vincent on Alumni Field on Wednesday at 6 p.m. in its home opening doubleheader.
