Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

CAMDEN, N.J. (March 25, 2017) – The Rutgers University-Camden softball team finally had the chance to enjoy some home cooking here Saturday.
 
After opening its season with 14 games at a pair of southern tournaments, the Scarlet Raptors hosted Penn State-Abington for a non-conference morning doubleheader. In the opening game, sophomore southpaw Jessica Thompson (Pedricktown, NJ/Penns Grove) tossed a six-hit shutout and senior second baseman Jalene Garcia (Vineland, NJ/Vineland) collected her 100th collegiate hit as the Scarlet Raptors defeated the Nittany Lions, 4-0.
 
Penn State-Abington took the nightcap, 10-2, in six innings behind a 12-hit attack and junior pitcher Becca Dougherty (Churchville, PA/Council Rock South), who threw no-hit ball for four innings and finished working five innings of three-hit ball.
 
The split leaves the Scarlet Raptors with an 8-8 record, while the Nittany Lions stand at 3-3.
 
The Scarlet Raptors return to action Tuesday when they host John Jay College of Criminal Justice in a 3 p.m. non-conference doubleheader.
   

In the opening game, Thompson survived a first-inning jam, aided by a sensational play in left field by junior Gabrielle Castellini (Millville, NJ/Wildwood Catholic), and worked out of jams in the second and third innings before retiring nine of the next 10 batters. By the seventh inning, Rutgers-Camden had built a 4-0 lead before Thompson ended the game with a strikeout, stranding the bases loaded with the tying run at the plate.
 
Thompson (3-4), finished with two walks and seven strikeouts while pitching her second shutout of the season. She allowed a leadoff single in the first inning by Abington freshman third baseman Sam Friend (Southampton, PA/Archbishop Wood), who was sacrificed to second ahead of the Nittany Lions' No. 3 hitter, senior shortstop Breanna Lineman (Philadelphia, PA/Philadelphia School for Girls). Lineman ripped a deep drive toward the left-center gap that Castellini flagged down with a terrific catch before doubling Friend off at second to end the inning.
 
The Nittany Lions left two runners on base in the second inning and the bases loaded in the third before Rutgers-Camden broke the scoreless deadlock. Senior centerfielder Megan Goodspeed (Florence, NJ/Florence) opened the bottom of the third beating out a grounder to shortstop for an infield hit. Garcia had a bunt single for her 99th career hit and sophomore rightfielder Allie Jenkins (Delanco, NJ/Riverside) singled to load the bases. Freshman designated player Valorie Velasco (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East), who has been the Raptors' top run-producer in the young season, followed with a ground rule double to right field, plating her 15th and 16th RBIs of the season. One out later, Thompson helped her own cause with an RBI single to center.
 
The Scarlet Raptors added their final run in the sixth inning, sparked by a one-out ground rule double to left field by sophomore first baseman Dannie Dinsfriend (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee). She was replaced by freshman Paige Neilson (Atco, NJ/Hammonton) and the speedy pinch-runner promptly stole third base and scored moments later on a wild pitch.
 
Garcia, the lone Raptor in the game with two hits, collected her milestone hit in the sixth inning with a line single to center field. After notching 28 hits during her freshman year at Albright College, she now owns 72 during her three-year Rutgers-Camden career.
   
In the nightcap, Abington freshman centerfielder Isabel Hoch (Philadelphia, PA/Harry S. Truman) led a 12-hit attack, going 3-for-4 with three runs and one RBI. Dougherty, meanwhile, worked the first five innings, including the first four while facing the minimum of 12 batters, to even her record at 1-1. She finished allowing three hits, two walks and two earned runs in five innings, while striking out two.
 
Abington took the lead for good with a two-run second inning, sparked when Hoch led off the frame by beating out a grounder to shortstop for an infield single. Three more singles, including an RBI hit by freshman second baseman Sam Goetz (New Egypt, NJ/New Egypt), and an error followed to plate the two runs.
 
The Nittany Lions added two unearned runs in the top of the fifth before Rutgers-Camden cut its deficit in half with two runs in the bottom of the frame. The inning included a leadoff single by Velasco, who along with Garcia led the Raptors with two hits on the day. Thompson drew a one-out walk and sophomore Kendra Pfister (Dacula, GA/Dacula), the Raptors' second pitcher of the day, had a two-out RBI single. Junior shortstop Mariah Hans (Barrington, NJ/Haddon Heights) followed with a run-scoring hit.
 
Penn State-Abington put the game away with a six-run sixth, aided by four hits, two errors and one walk. The Nittany Lions sent 10 batters to the plate in the frame, which included a two-run double by Dougherty.
 
In addition to Hoch's three hits, Dougherty and junior first baseman/pitcher Caitlin Brasier (Levittown, PA/Bucks County Tech) had two hits apiece for the Nittany Lions. Hoch scored three runs, while Brasier had two runs scored. Dougherty was the lone Abington player with multiple RBIs, collecting two.