MAHWAH, N.J. (April 12, 2015) – The Rutgers-Newark softball team fell in a doubleheader at Ramapo College Sunday afternoon. The Roadrunners won game one by a score of 5-0 and came back to take the nightcap in extra innings, 6-3.
Ramapo improves to 8-2 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference and 19-7 overall. The Scarlet Raiders drop to 1-9 in the NJAC and 8-14 overall.
Game 1Ramapo broke the scoreless tie in the fourth inning, getting a two-run double from sophomore Nicole Mahoney with one out. The Roadrunners were able to put the first two runners of the inning on base with a walk and hit batter.
Junior catcher Melissa Moreno, who scored in the fourth, delivered a two-out single to plate the third Ramapo run in the fifth.
Senior
Toniann Donde recorded the first Scarlet Raider hit of the afternoon, doubling to center field with one out in the second inning, and the veteran recorded her second knock of the afternoon with a leadoff single in the fifth.
Ramapo pitcher Katrina Buczkowski retired the Raiders in order in four of the seven innings, striking out six. Sophomore
Anna Carlson picked up the other Rutgers-Newark hit in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Scarlet Raiders were the home team in each end of the doubleheader. The games were originally slated to be played in Newark on Tuesday.
Freshman
Kelly Yusko pitched solidly for the Scarlet Raiders, falling to 5-5 on the season. She went the distance, scattering seven hits and striking out a pair. The rookie was charged with five earned runs after Ramapo notched two scores in its final turn at bat.
Game 2Scarlet Raider freshman starter
Morgan Walizer and Ramapo starter Christina Brizek each put up a zero in the first inning, with each offense scoring in the second. The Roadrunners took a 1-0 lead in the top half, but Rutgers answered with two if its own to take a 2-1 lead.
Donde reached base for the third time on the day with a walk, and freshman
Kayla Gallo did the same. Junior
Vannessa Romero got down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners up, and Walizer delivered an RBI groundout to tie the score. The Scarlet Raiders ended up taking the lead for the first time in the doubleheader on a wild pitch.
Walizer retired the side in order in the third, allowing the R-N bats to get right back at it. Junior
Kelsey Lucas singled down the left field line to open the inning, and Carlson put runners on first and second with a single of her own. Yusko made it three Scarlet Raider singles in a row, and after a pitching change, a bases loaded walk to Donde made it 3-1. Despite having the bases loaded with nobody out, Ramapo was able to get out of the inning without further damage and the two squads headed to the fourth inning.
A Moreno double drove in the Roadrunners' second run of the game, making it 3-2, but R-N junior reliever
Jess Cannon was able to get out of the inning. She also did a great job in the top half of the sixth, getting around two two-out hits to keep the Scarlet Raiders on top.
Ramapo pulled even after a pair of Rutgers-Newark errors in the top of the seventh. Senior Kim LaPenta singled to start and advanced to second on an error, and after moving to third on a groundout, she came crossed the plate on an error.
Carlson's second single of the afternoon was it for the Scarlet Raiders in the seventh, and the two teams went to extra innings to decide the nightcap. Mahoney was placed on second to start the Ramapo eighth, and following a sacrifice bunt, she scored on a single off the bat of sophomore Nicole Hernandez. A single and error loaded the bases with one out, but Cannon induced a ground ball to Carlson at third base to cut down a run at home and keep R-N within one. However, a two-out single from Moreno plated a pair to give Ramapo a 6-3 edge.
Unfortunately, the Scarlet Raiders were unable to get much going in the eighth and fell in extras by the 6-3 final.
Donde led the Scarlet Raider offense, reaching base four times in the doubleheader, and Carlson was excellent as well, going 4-for-7. Cannon took the loss in the second game, allowing four ones (none earned) on six hits.
Rutgers-Newark will look to get back into the win column Tuesday in an NJAC doubleheader at Montclair State University. The opener is scheduled for a 3 p.m. start.
