Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

NEW YORK, N.Y. – The Rutgers University-Camden softball team was shut down on five hits in the opener of a non-conference doubleheader here Thursday, but the Scarlet Raptors put on their hitting shoes to win the nightcap.
 
Rutgers-Camden pounded out 11 hits and rallied from a five-run deficit to win the second game, 10-9, after dropping the opener, 2-1, against John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
 
The second-game win improved the Scarlet Raptors' record to 17-9-1, snapping a three-game losing streak. The Bloodhounds, who snapped their two-game skid with the win in the opener, stand at 11-15.
 
Freshman Samantha Sandridge (Friendswood, TX/Friendswood) went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs, while picking up the victory in relief in Game Two. Junior Brittany Scott (Buena, NJ/Buena Regional) also homered, and drove home two runs, while earning a save in the second game.
 
The Scarlet Raptors return to play Saturday in a 1 p.m. New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader at William Paterson University.
 The first game featured a pitchers' duel between the Raptors' Scott and John Jay senior Sara McKenna (White Plains, NY/Hendrick Hudson), with all of the scoring coming in the fifth inning.
 
Rutgers-Camden broke a scoreless deadlock with two outs in the fifth when senior shortstop Krystine Rice (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) singled and advanced to third on a single by sophomore right fielder Jalene Garcia (Vineland, NJ/Vineland). While Garcia advanced to second on the play and was eventually retired, Rice raced home to score.
 
The Bloodhounds countered with two runs in the bottom of the frame on three hits, including a RBI double by senior right fielder Jocelyn Ocasio (Bronx, NY/Monsignor Scanlan) that chased home the winning run.
 
Rutgers-Camden threatened in both the final two innings, leaving the bases loaded in the sixth and getting the tying run on base in the seventh before the game ended on a double play.
 
McKenna (3-7) allowed five hits, two walks and one earned run, while fanning four. Scott (13-8) allowed four hits, two earned runs and one walk. She struck out six.
 
Rice went 2-for-2 with a run scored as the only batter in the game with multiple hits.
 After the Scarlet Raptors scored an unearned run in the first inning, aided by an error and a RBI single from freshman catcher Mackenzie Mason (Carneys Point, NJ/Penns Grove), the Bloodhounds exploded for five runs in the bottom of the frame before Sandridge relieved freshman starter Brittany Striewski (Lindenwold, NJ/Paul VI). John Jay added a second-inning run to grab a 6-1 lead before the Raptors rallied.
 
Rutgers-Camden climbed back into the game with a four-run third inning, The comeback started with a single by Rice and a two-run homer to left field by Scott. Sandridge added a RBI single later in the frame, while the final run came home when freshman second baseman Taylor Nichols (Barrington, NJ/Haddon Heights) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
 
The Scarlet Raptors took the lead for good with a five-run fourth inning, sparked when Scott reached on a leadoff error. Junior third baseman Katie Larson (Delran, NJ/Delran) drew a walk and they had a double steal before Sandridge delivered a three-run home run to center field. Mason followed with an infield single and raced to third on a double by junior center fielder Lindsay Day (Mays Landing, NJ/Oakcrest). After freshman left fielder Katie Gurba (Westampton, NJ/Holy Cross) reached on an infield error to load the bases, a walk to Garcia forced home a run. Rice closed the scoring with a sacrifice fly.
 
Sandridge worked 3.1 innings on the mound, allowing five hits, two walks and three earned runs. She struck out three while raising her record to 4-1. Scott pitched the final 3.2 innings, allowing six hits and one earned run. She struck out four and didn't walk a batter while picking up her second save of the year.
 
Offensively, Sandridge was 3-for-4 with one run and four RBIs, while Larson went 2-for-4 with three runs, Rice was 2-for-4 with a run and one RBI and Mason went 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI. Scott had two runs and two RBIs while hitting a home run in five at bats.
 Freshman Lisa Pellegrino (Garden City Park, NY/New Hyde Park Memorial), the losing pitcher, went 3-for-5 with three runs and two RBIs for John Jay. Sophomore shortstop Nalena Cruzado (Brooklyn, NY/Telecommunications, Arts & Technology) also went 3-for-5, adding two runs and two RBIs.