Highlights

NEWARK, N.J. (March 24, 2018) – The Rutgers University-Newark softball team split a pair of one-run non-conference games against cross-river-rival New York University Sunday on Alumni Field. Sophomore Brielle Mattiello delivered a walk-off double and freshman pitcher Paige Masiello hurled a gem in a 2-1 win in the opener, and the Violets earned a 7-6 triumph in the nightcap.
 
Rutgers-Newark moves to 10-3 on the season and will visit Lehman College Tuesday afternoon in the Bronx. NYU moves to 8-6.
 
Rutgers-Newark 2, NYU 1
Sophomore Brielle Mattiello ripped a two-run double to lift the Scarlet Raiders to a 2-1 win in the opening game of Sunday's doubleheader. The second-year outfielder blasted an 0-2 pitch deep to left field, bringing in pinch runner Emily Bartus and senior Morgan Walizer with Newark's only two runs of the game.
 
Starting pitcher Paige Masiello was brilliant for the Scarlet Raiders, improving to 6-1 overall with a complete-game gem. Masiello allowed one unearned run on four hits and two walks. After the game, the Rutgers-Newark freshman had a 3.00 earned-run average and had allowed just two earned runs in her last 13 innings.
 
Walizer led the Rutgers-Newark offense, going 2-for-3 with a run scored, and freshman Jaclyn Arute, senior Morgan Schweitzer and Mattiello had the other hits.
 
The game featured great defense and pitching on both sides, with NYU pushing across its lone run in the top of the seventh, an unearned tally, to take a brief 1-0 lead. Masiello did a nice job working through the jam and keeping her team within one , and she received solid defense on several occasions.
 
In the bottom half of the seventh inning, Walizer led off with a single and freshman Sam Morton reached on a fielder's choice. On Morton's grounder, Walizer was able to advance on a throwing error, putting two on with nobody out. Pinch hitter Brittany Kalesse walked to load the bases and Mattiello came through with the biggest hit of her young career.
 
NYU 7, Rutgers-Newark 6
The Violets were able to score two runs in the seventh inning to earn the win, with the game-winning run crossing on a two-out double from freshman Kymber Yamamoto.
 
Rutgers-Newark had nine hits in the game, getting two each from sophomore Sarah Stiehler (2-for-3, BB, RBI), Arute (2-for-3, R) and freshman Sam Morton (2-for-4, 2 RBI, R).
 
Senior Kelly Yusko tossed the first inning, Walizer hurled the next four and Masiello – who took a hard-luck loss – went the final two frames.
 
After NYU tallied once in the top half of the first inning, Rutgers-Newark responded with two runs in the bottom half. A walk to Walizer forced home the first run, and a single from Morton brought in classmate Julie Contravo who reached on a fielder's choice.
 
NYU tied the game with a single tally in the second, pushing across three runs in the fourth for a 5-2 lead. Newark came back in a big way, scoring four runs on six hits in the bottom half. Walizer and Morton hit back-to-back doubles to start the inning, accounting for the first run, and Morton crossed on a wild pitch. Stiehler executed a squeeze bunt single to bring home Mattiello with the tying run, and a walk to Schweitzer with the bases full gave Rutgers-Newark the lead.
 
Walizer kept the Violets off the board in the fifth and Masiello came on for the sixth and seventh.
 
Scarlet Murphy earned the win for NYU to improve to 4-1, allowing no runs and one hit over the final 3.2 innings.