HOBOKEN, N.J. (April 11, 2018) – The Rutgers University-Newark softball team was foiled by fantastic pitching as it dropped a pair of non-league contests at Stevens Institute of Technology. The Scarlet Raiders fall to 15-8 while the Ducks improve to 11-7.
R-N looks to get back on track tomorrow as it resumes New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) play with a pair of games against Montclair State on Alumni Field beginning at 3 p.m.
Stevens 1, Rutgers-Newark 0
In the opening matchup, the teams were locked in a pitchers' duel. The Scarlet Raiders rookie starter
Paige Masiello (8-5) cruised through the first four innings, allowing five hits and walking one batter while keeping the home side off the scoreboard.
Unfortunately, after getting the first hitter in the fifth to ground out, Masiello conceded three consecutive hits and what would prove to be the lone run of the game. Still, Masiello had a strong outing overall going 4.1 innings, scattering eight hits and one walk while allowing just one run.
Senior
Kelly Yusko came on in relief in the fifth and immediately got the first batter she faced to ground into a double play, escaping the inning with just a 1-0 deficit.
Yusko went on to retire the side in the sixth as well, compiling a line of 1.2 innings with one hit allowed, no walks, and one strikeout. However, on the other side, the Ducks' junior starter Christine LaRochelle was brilliant.
LaRochelle hurled a complete game one-hit shutout, allowing just six Raiders to reach base all contest while improving to 5-2 as her team eked out the slim 1-0 victory.
R-N threatened a couple times beginning in the top of the first when freshman
Jaclyn Arute led off the game and was granted first after getting hit by a pitch. Next, sophomore
Sarah Stiehler worked a walk to put two on with no outs. After a fielder's choice and stolen base, the visitors were set up with runners on second and third and one out but LaRochelle retired the next batters, keeping the Raiders off the board.
In the third, an Arute walk and Stiehler base knock led to both players in scoring position with two down but LaRochelle again got the out she needed.
Finally, Newark had a runner on second with two outs in the seventh but LaRochelle buckled down one last time to seal the win.
Arute reached base in both of her at bats with a pair of free passes while Stiehler was 1-for-2 with a walk.
Stevens 5, Rutgers-Newark 0
The night cap was all about the Ducks pitching once again, this time from junior Marissa Cappello. Cappello was fantastic, delivering a complete game two-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts while allowing just two hits and two walks.
Of the four Scarlet Raiders that got on base, none advanced past first as Stevens completed the sweep.
Yusko (3-3) had Cappello locked in a pitchers' duel for the first five frames as she conceded just one run on five hits and a walk. Still, the Ducks broke the contest open and chased Yusko with four tallies in the bottom of the sixth to secure a comfortable lead.
Yusko's final line was 5.1 innings, five runs allowed on 10 hits and a walk with three strike outs. Senior
Morgan Walizer conceded a hit while recording the last two outs.
Walizer and Yusko also each had a 1-for-3 game at the plate to lead the offense.
