Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 CAMDEN, N.J. – Saturday's softball doubleheader at Rutgers-Camden Community Park turned into a showdown between two of the top pitchers in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. When all was said and done, both Rutgers University-Camden junior
Brittany Scott (Buena, NJ/Buena Regional) and Kean University senior
Courtney Yard (Stockton, NJ/Hunterdon Central) had posted one well-earned victory and suffered one difficult loss.
Yard and the nationally-ranked Cougars edged Scott and the Scarlet Raptors, 1-0, in the opener before Scott outlasted Yard, 3-2 in the nightcap.
Rutgers-Camden stands at 12-4-1 overall and 5-1 in the NJAC while Kean, ranked No. 24 in the latest NFCA Division III poll, is 12-5 and 4-2.
Kean leads the all-time series, 34-17, and had won eight of its last nine games against Rutgers-Camden before the Scarlet Raptors took the nightcap.
Both teams return to NJAC action with road doubleheaders Tuesday at 3 p.m. Rutgers-Camden visits The College of New Jersey and Kean plays at William Paterson University.
Kean 1, Rutgers-Camden 0
Yard, who pitched a perfect game in her last outing Thursday, raised her record to 8-1 with a one-hit shutout, allowing only a first-inning single by Raptor freshman second baseman
Taylor Nichols (Barrington, NJ/Haddon Heights). That hit extended Nichols' hitting streak to 11 games before it was snapped in the nightcap.
The Cougars' victory, meanwhile, snapped the Scarlet Raptors' 10-game unbeaten streak (9-0-1).
Kean scored its only run in the fifth inning on a two-out solo home run to center by sophomore second baseman
Emily Sabo (Rahway, NJ/Rahway). Sabo went 3-for-3 in the game, while sophomore center fielder
Emily Bissonnette (Stewartsville, NJ/Phillipsburg) was 2-for-4.
Yard struck out 12 and didn't walk a batter, while Scott (9-3) allowed seven hits and one walk, while fanning six.
Rutgers-Camden 3, Kean 2
Scott won the rematch with another pitchers' duel in the nightcap. Scott (10-3) scattered 10 hits and didn't walk a batter, while striking out four. Yard (8-2) allowed five hits and struck out seven without a walk.
With the teams tied at 1-1, Rutgers-Camden scored a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, sparked by a one-out single from senior left fielder
Devon Welsh (Maple Shade, NJ/Audubon). Welsh stole second and scored when sophomore right fielder
Jalene Garcia (Vineland, NJ/Vineland) reached second base on an infield error. One out later, Garcia scored on a single by Scott.
Kean added its final run in the top of the seventh. With two out, freshman shortstop
Cayleen Rizo (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) singled and advanced on an error. She scored on a double by Sabo . Scott ended the threat with the tying run on second base when she induced a game-ending line out to senior shortstop
Krystine Rice (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee). Scott went 2-for-3 with two RBIs in the game, while Garcia scored two runs.
