Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 CLERMONT, Fla. (March 12, 2016) - The Rutgers University-Newark softball team picked up its first win of the 2016 season Saturday in Clermont, Fla. The Scarlet Raiders edged Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) by a 2-1 final in the first of two games the Scarlet Raiders played.

The victory in the opener for Head Coach Kristen Hunt was the first of her head coaching career. Sophomore Kelly Yusko was excellent in the circle, going the distance to pick up her first victory of the season and executing a suicide squeeze at the plate.

R-N dropped another one-run game in the nightcap, falling 8-7 in eight innings as the Scarlet Raiders battled back from a four-run deficit in the bottom of the seventh to force extra's. Sophomore Kelly Yusko came through with a three-run homer as Newark nearly pulled off the improbable comeback.

Game 1 - Rutgers-Newark 2, RPI 1
Yusko went the distance to earn the win, improving to 1-1 on the season. RPI scored in the first inning, but Yusko slammed the door and did not allow another run to cross the plate.

The R-N runs came via a Yusko squeeze in the first, and a single from freshman Samantha Hoffman in the fifth.

A complete recap and box score from this game will be posted as soon as possible.

Game 2 - New England College 8, Rutgers-Newark 7 (8 inn.)
Rutgers-Newark battled back in the night cap against New England, scoring four runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game 7-7, but ultimately succumbing by a final score of 8-7 in eight innings.

Despite being down by four with just three outs to play with, the Scarlet Raiders made it interesting. Sophomore Elizabeth Marflak singled and sophomore Sam Held was hit by a pitch to set the stage for a three-run blast to left-center field from Yusko, pulling Rutgers-Newark within one. Senior Kelsey Lucas was next, and she fought her way on thanks to an error, and after advancing to second on a passed ball, freshman Liesel Johnson walked and the winning run was on first base with nobody out. Sophomore Morgan Walizer was next, and she singled to right field, but Lucas was cut down at home, leaving NEC (6-6) on top for the moment. Newark pulled even when the next batter - sophomore Kayla Gallo came through with a sacrifice fly to center field, tying the game at 7 and sending it to extras.

Marflak singled to start the bottom of the first inning, and Held followed to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Yusko grounded out and moved the runners up, and Lucas came through with a sacrifice fly to account for the first run. Johnson singled, and Held eventually scored on the play because of an error, giving Rutgers-Newark an early 2-1 lead.

New England College went ahead with two runs in the second inning and one more in the third, and the Scarlet Raiders were unable to cut into the 4-2 lead until the fifth inning. Held found herself on third base after a leadoff double and passed ball, scoring on a sacrifice fly from Yusko to pull her team within one run.

Yusko went back to the mound in the third inning for R-N, relieving sophomore Morgan Walizer who went back to play third base. Yusko allowed just one run in the fourth inning, sending down New England in order in the fifth and sixth. The Pilgrims put the first two runners on in the seventh, eventually pushing across three insurance runs which made it a 7-3 game.

Marflak went 2-for-5 with two runs scored, and Held was excellent in a 3-for-3, three-run performance. Yusko had four RBI and her big homer, and Johnson had two hits in three turns at bat.

The two sides combined for 26 hits and 15 runs in the game (R-N had 10 hits).

Rutgers-Newark (1-3 ) will take on FDU-Florham and Babson College Sunday at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.