Box Score

GLASSBORO, N.J. (May 7, 2016) – In the uncharacteristically-jumbled world of the rain-hampered 2016 New Jersey Athletic Conference Softball Championship tournament, it took an uncharacteristically- difficult defensive inning to send Rutgers University-Camden falling into the losers' bracket and, due to the backed up game schedule, end the Scarlet Raptors' stay in the abbreviated playoff.
 
The fifth-seeded Scarlet Raptors made four errors to allow three unearned runs in the third inning and went on to lose to third-seeded The College of New Jersey, 4-0, in a winners' bracket game.
 
With games backed up due to losing a full day to Friday's rainouts, the tournament schedule was changed from a double-elimination format. The only two remaining undefeated teams – TCNJ and top-seeded host Rowan – will play for the title in a one-game championship Sunday at 11 a.m.
 
The loss and schedule change ends the Scarlet Raptors' season at 21-19.
 
Saturday's game was shaping up as a fine pitchers' duel between Raptor senior Brittany Scott (Buena, NJ/Buena Regional) and TCNJ sophomore Sam Platt (Cedar Grove, NJ/Mt. St. Dominic Academy). In the top of the third inning, however, with the Lions batting as the visiting team, TCNJ loaded the bases with one out on back-to-back infield errors and a bunt single by senior designated player Deanna Utter (Bryam, NJ/Lenape Valley). With the infield in, the Raptors attempted to force the go-head run at the plate, but an errant throw on a fielder's choice grounder by freshman centerfielder Gaby Bennett (Hamilton, NJ/Steinert) bounded away to plate a pair of runs. Utter scored the third run of the frame on another error.
 
Those runs proved more than enough support for Platt, who raised her record to 17-3 with a three-hitter, walking five and striking out five. After allowing an infield hit by the Raptors' junior rightfielder Jalene Garcia (Vineland, NJ/Vineland) and a walk to Scott to open the bottom of the first inning, Platt retired the next nine batters before issuing a fourth-inning walk to senior shortstop Katie Larson (Delran, NJ/Delran). She didn't allow her second hit until Larson singled in the sixth inning, and allowed only one more single after that, a one-out hit by junior first baseman Abby Merryman (Washington Township, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) in the seventh.
 
Scott (16-14), meanwhile, didn't allow an earned run until the top of the seventh when senior shortstop Steph Vuono (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern Regional) hit a leadoff double and eventually scored on a ground out by Bennett. Scott finished with a five-hitter, walking two, striking out one and allowing only one earned run.
 
Utter, who went 3-for-3 with one run, was the lone player in the game to get multiple hits. For Rutgers-Camden, Garcia and Larson both had a single and a walk, while freshman designated player Dannie Dinsfriend (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) drew two walks.