NEWARK, N.J. (April 15, 2015) – Junior
Kelsey Lucas delivered a walk-off single and freshman
Kelly Yusko homered twice as the Rutgers-Newark softball team came back for a doubleheader split versus visiting Hunter College Wednesday at Alumni Field.
The Scarlet Raiders were defeated in game one by a score of 4-2, before bouncing back to take a thrilling see-saw game two, 9-8. Rutgers-Newark is now 9-17 after handing Hunter just its third loss of the 2015 season (15-3).
Game 1Hunter jumped on the board in the top of the first with two well-placed hits and a single up the middle to go on top 2-0, but the Scarlet Raiders responded in their half of the inning with two runs to tie things up. Left fielder
Sam Held walked to start the inning, and third baseman
Anna Carlson laced a single to left field. Yusko – who pitched in the opener - singled to load the bases, before a fielder's choice from first baseman
Toniann Donde and a two-out single from Lucas tied the score.
Yusko pitched very well, getting a bit unlucky in the first and cruising through innings two through five with the help of a couple nice plays in left field from Held.
Hunter starter Erika Colangelo was also solid, keeping the Scarlet Raiders off the board after the first and limiting Rutgers to a total of six hits.
A single and double to start the sixth put runners on second and third with nobody out for the Hawks. Yusko was able to get a strikeout, but a groundout and bloop single to shallow left field gave Hunter the 4-2 margin it would win by.
R-N threatened in the sixth when shortstop
Vannessa Romero led off with a walk and pinch hitter
Kayla Gallo singled, but the Raiders were unable to come up with the clutch hit they needed in the loss.
Yusko dropped to 6-7 on the season, allowing four runs on seven hits and striking out five. Three of the seven hits were just well placed and she walked none. Carlson led the Rutgers-Newark offense, going 2-for-4.
Game 2R-N scored three times in first and two more in the third to open an early 5-0 lead. Lucas ripped a leadoff single, and after an out, Carlson rocked a single to left field. Carlson's single eluded the left fielder, allowing Lucas to score, and after Donde was hit by a pitch, Yusko ripped a two-run double.
Yusko again provided the spark in the third as the rookie blasted a towering two-run homer to centerfield, staking the Raiders to a 5-0 lead.
Hunter would come back, getting four runs in the fourth and two more on the fifth to take a 6-5 advantage and chase starting pitcher
Jess Cannon. First baseman Stefanie Abolt answered Yusko's two-run shot with one of her own to give the Hawks their first lead of the night cap.
Hunter tacked on one more in the fifth before the Scarlet Raiders came back to tie the game at seven with another Yusko blast. This one was to left center and was also a two-run shot, driving in Donde who led off the inning with a hard-hit single.
Reliever
Morgan Walizer held Hunter scoreless in the sixth, and the Raiders took the lead in the bottom half. Lucas reached on an error, and Marflak walked to set the stage for Carlson who came through with an RBI double to left center.
The back-and-forth battle continued, as Hunter scored a run in the seventh on a triple from junior Christine Kline, but the Scarlet Raiders answered to walk off in thrilling fashion. Held singled with one out and Romero followed with a single of her own to put the winning run in scoring position. An error on a popup loaded the bases for Lucas who laced the game-winner to center field.
Yusko had an amazing offensive game for R-N, finishing 3-for-4 with two home runs, two runs scored and six RBI's. She now has eight homers and 32 runs batted in on the season and is slugging an amazing .821.
Lucas was 2-for-5 with the game-winner and two runs scored, and Carlson was 2-for-4 with a run and RBI. Donde scored three runs and Romero went 3-for-4 as the Scarlet Raiders banged out 13 hits in the second game. Held was 2-for-3 as well for Rutgers-Newark.
Walizer earned the win in relief for Rutgers-Newark, improving to 3-5 on the season. She went 2.2 innings, allowing two runs on five hits, striking out five.
Rutgers-Newark will return to action with a home New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader Saturday against Richard Stockton. Game 1 is slated for a 1 p.m. start from Alumni Field.
