UNION, N.J. | The Rutgers University-Newark softball team struggled in a road New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) doubleheader this afternoon, dropping a pair of contests to 23^rd-ranked Kean University 9-1 and 8-0. The Scarlet Raiders are now 10-18 (3-5 NJAC) while the Cougars improve to 24-5 (4-4 NJAC).

In the opener, the visitors kept it close through four innings as starter Michelle Capizzano held a potent Kean offense in check.

Trailing 3-0 after three frames, R-N got a run back in the fourth. Jackie Lara got things started with a one-out double into the right-center field gap after working the count full. Julie Contravo immediately capitalized on the opportunity, ripping an RBI two-bagger into the same gap on a 1-1 count to drive Lara home and make it a 3-1 contest.

Unfortunately, the Raiders would get no closer as the hosts piled on six runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 9-1 victory.

Lara and Contravo led the way offensively with a pair of 1-for-2 performances and a double apiece. Emily Bartus went 1-for-1 and Samantha Hoffman had a .500 on-base percentage with a walk. Capizzano took the loss in the circle to move to 2-7 in 2019.

The evening cap was dominated from the start by the nationally-ranked Cougars. The home side jumped out to a 7-0 lead after one inning and tacked on one more score in the third to secure the shutout victory.

Jaclyn Arute picked up Rutgers-Newark's lone hit at the top of the lineup while Paige Masiello went to 4-6 on the season following four innings of eight-run ball (five earned), walking two and fanning one.

Kean's Taryn DiGiacomo (12-3) was nearly unhittable in five shutout frames, walking none and striking out four.

The Scarlet Raiders look to get back on the winning track on Friday in their last non-conference matchup of the season as they host Baruch College beginning at 3 p.m.