CAMDEN, NJ – Sophomore left-hander Brianna Alicchio hurled a 7-hit shutout as Rutgers-Newark blanked Rutgers-Camden, 5-0, in the opening game of a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader at RUC Community Park.  The Scarlet Raptors took game two, 10-2, as the teams competed on Breast Cancer Awareness Day.

BOX SCORES & PLAY-BY-PLAY
Rutgers-Newark 5, Rutgers-Camden 0
Rutgers-Camden 10, Rutgers-Newark 2

IN THE OPENER, junior first baseman Monica Bagan hammered a 2-run home run in the first inning as the Scarlet Raiders (14-21, NJAC 3-13) scored twice in each of the first two innings to take control of the game.

In the second inning, an infield throwing error brought home a run before sophomore centerfielder Tori Santiago capped the 2-run rally with a 2-out single to centerfield.  Santiago added an insurance run in the fifth, opening the inning with single, advance to second on a wild pitch, moving to third on an infield grounder and coming home on a wild pick-off attempt by the Camden catcher.

Alicchio (9-7) gave up a single and a double in the second inning, but got a pop up to shortstop to end the threat.  It marked the last time that a Raptor runner reached third in the game.  Alicchio struck out two and walked no one.

It was the first NJAC shutout victory for Rutgers-Newark in exactly eight years.  The Raiders blanked New Jersey City, 1-0, to start a doubleheader sweep on Alumni Field on April 24, 2004.

The Raiders have now defeated William Paterson, Ramapo and Rutgers-Camden in a season for the first time in program history.

IN THE NIGHTCAP, the Raptors (16-15, NJAC 7-9) jumped on sophomore Liane Drastal (5-14) for eight runs on just five hits while taking advantage of three Raider errors in the third inning of the 5-inning contest.

Junior leftfielder Nicole Odell, Santiago and freshman shortstop Victoria Sovak singled in the fifth to push across the first Raider run before a throwing error off of a ground ball by sophomore catcher AJ Affholter brought in the final tally.

Camden senior Amanda Cassella (8-7) gave up only a first-inning double to junior third baseman Monica Liotto through the first four innings before turning the game over to Ashley Johnson in the fifth inning.

Rutgers-Newark hosts Baruch College in its home finale on Thursday at 4 p.m. on Alumni Field before ending the season in with an NJAC doubleheader at Richard Stockton at 1 p.m. on Saturday.