EWING, N.J. (April 11, 2015) – The Rutgers-Newark softball team dropped both ends of a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) doubleheader Saturday at The College of New Jersey.
 
TCNJ won the first game by a score of 9-1 in six innings and won a tight nightcap by a final of 5-2.
 
Rutgers-Newark falls to 8-12 overall (1-7 NJAC), while TCNJ moves to 14-6 overall and 7-3 in the conference.
 
Game 1
The Scarlet Raiders were never able to recover after three-run homer from TCNJ's catcher Jamie Purcell in the first inning. The Lions extended their lead to 4-0 with an unearned run in the second, before the Scarlet Raiders pushed across their lone run of the opener. Junior Kelsey Lucas led off the inning with a double to left center, and came around to score when sophomore Anna Carlson delivered a run-scoring double down the left field line. Senior Toniann Donde singled with one out in the inning, and the Scarlet Raiders brought the tying run to the plate, but TCNJ starter Ashtin Helmer worked out of the jam.
 
The Lions scored three times in the fourth and twice in the sixth for the final 9-1 margin (six innings).
 
Helmer earned the win, going the distance, scattering five hits to go along with six strikeouts and no walks. Yusko took the loss (5-4), allowing nine runs (six earned) on eight hits. She struck out three and walked a pair.
 
The Raider bats were led by a Carlson and Donde who each had two hits.
 
Game 2
The Lions went on top 2-0 after two innings, pushing across single runs in the first and second, but the Scarlet Raiders were able to overcome the early deficit, getting a pair of their own tallies in the third.
 
Freshman catcher Sam Held started the inning with a single to left field, and after two outs, Yusko singled to put two runners on with two outs. Donde was next for Rutgers-Newark, coming through with a two-out run-scoring double to plate the first run of game two, and junior Vannessa Romero followed with a single to tie the game (2-2).
 
Freshman Nikki Sammartino led off with a single in the fourth, but was unable to cross the plate, and both Held and Yusko reached in the seventh, but it was not enough as the Scarlet Raiders fell by the 5-2 final.
 
TCNJ was able to score the game-winner in the fourth and pushed across two insurance runs in the sixth for the final margin.
 
The Scarlet Raider offense collected 11 hits in game two. Held went 2-for-4, Yusko went 3-for-4 with a double and run scored and Romero was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
 
Freshman pitcher Morgan Walizer suffered the loss (1-4) for Rutgers-Newark. She went 3.2 innings, allowing three runs on six hits. Lion starter Katie Hourihan went 6.0 innings for the hosts, allowing 10 hits, two runs and striking out three.
 
Donde, Yusko and Carlson all had three hits on the day to pace a 16-hit Scarlet Raider offense.
 
Rutgers-Newark will look to get back in the win column Sunday when it visits Ramapo for an NJAC doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.