CLERMONT, Fla. (March 12, 2018) – The Rutgers University-Newark softball team split a pair of games Monday in Florida, falling 3-0 to Endicott College in the opener, but cruising to an 8-0 shutout of Keene State in the nightcap.
 
The highlight came from game two when senior starting pitcher Morgan Walizer tossed a five-inning no-hitter with six strikeouts. Walizer was able to work around two errors to pocket her second win (2-0) of the young season.
 
Rutgers-Newark is now 3-1 on the season and has scored 30 runs in just four games.
 
Endicott 3, Rutgers-Newark 0
Pitcher Michaela Hamill tossed a complete-game two-hitter to keep a tough Rutgers-Newark offense at bay in Monday's first game. Freshman Sam Morton and senior Morgan Walizer pocketed the Scarlet Raider hits, and freshman Jaclyn Arute got on base with a walk.       
 
Senior Kelly Yusko tossed six solid innings for Rutgers-Newark despite taking the loss. The veteran allowed three runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out two. Walizer came on and tossed a clean final frame, inducing two groundouts and a fly out.
 
Endicott scored one run in the second, and two more in the third. The big blow was a two-run home run off the bat of junior Jamie Hopgood who went 2-for-4.
 
Rutgers-Newark 8, Keene State 0
Walizer tossed an absolute gem, allowing nary a hit and working expertly around two errors to keep the Owls off the scoreboard. She fanned six and did not walk a single batter, inducing five ground-ball outs and four outs via the flyball.
 
Yusko singled and scored in the first inning, and after a double from sophomore Brielle Mattielo in the third, a Yusko single and Owl error allowed Mattielo to cross the plate. Sophomore Sarah Stiehler doubled to put runners and second and third, and an infield single from Arute plated Yusko. After a walk, freshman Julie Contravo doubled home Arute, and junior Samantha Hoffman greeted a new Keene State pitcher with a run-scoring double of her own. The final tally in a five-run third came on a productive out from Morton as Contravo crossed on a groundout.
 
Runs seven and eight came in the fourth inning. Stiehler came around on an error after reaching on a fielder's choice and Contravo doubled in Walizer who reached on an error.
 
In the fifth and final frame, Walizer struck out the side and she retired the final 10 batters she faced in a row.

The Scarlet Raiders totaled 11 hits against Keene. Yusko went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, and Arute was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs. Contravo went 2-for-3 with two RBI, and Mattielo also went 2-for-3 with a run scored.
 
Rutgers-Newark will take on Lasell College and Minnesota-Morris Tuesday starting at 2 p.m.