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JERSEY CITY, N.J. (April 2, 2017) – Junior catcher Mackenzie Mason (Penns Grove, NJ/Penns Grove) went 4-for-4 with six RBIs in the opening game and added a 2-for-4, one-RBI performance in the nightcap as the Rutgers University-Camden softball team swept a doubleheader from New Jersey City University here Sunday.
 
The Scarlet Raptors won the opening game, 7-3, and took the nightcap, 3-2, in eight innings. Sophomore Jessica Thompson (Pedricktown, NJ/Penns Grove) was the winning pitcher in both games, hurling a pair of complete games to raise her record to 5-6.
 
It was the first New Jersey Athletic Conference action of the season for both teams. Rutgers-Camden evened its overall record at 10-10 as it jumped off to a 2-0 start in NJAC play. New Jersey City University fell to 7-5 overall and 0-2 in the conference.
 
The Scarlet Raptors improved to 43-22 in their all-time series against the Gothic Knights, stretching their winning streak to 17 straight games in the rivalry.
 
The Scarlet Raptors return to conference action on Tuesday with a 3 p.m. doubleheader at The College of New Jersey.
   
Mason turned in one of the top games in program history, going 4-for-4 with six RBIs to power the Scarlet Raptors' 11-hit attack. She collected two-run singles in the second, fourth and seventh innings, while adding a sixth-inning single. Her hit total was one shy of the single-game program record of five, set by Sarah O'Malley in the first game against Gwynedd-Mercy College on March 27, 2003 and tied by teammate Charlee Greco (Shamong, NJ/Seneca) against Spalding University on March 16, 2016.
 
Mason's six RBIs were two shy of the Raptors' single-game mark of eight, set by Stephanie Ortona in the first game against Centenary College on March 17, 1999. It also was the second six-RBI game this season for the Scarlet Raptors, who saw freshman Valorie Velasco (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) plate six runs against Bay Path University on March 17.
 
While Mason was collecting four hits, both designated player Velasco and senior centerfielder Megan Goodspeed (Florence, NJ/Florence) went 2-for-3 with one run scored for Rutgers-Camden. The beneficiary of all that offense was Thompson, who scattered eight hits and four walks, while allowing three runs (two earned). She struck out seven.
 
With the score tied at 2-2 in the top of the fourth inning, Mason singled home both Thompson and junior leftfielder Gabrielle Castellini (Millville, NJ/Wildwood Catholic), who had reached on singles After the Gothic Knights cut the gap to 4-3, the Raptors added an unearned run in the fifth inning before Mason completed her big game with another two-run single in the seventh.
   
Rutgers-Camden pushed across the winning run in the top of the eighth inning after starting the frame with Velasco at second base under the international tie-breaker. She was replaced by freshman pinch-runner Caitlyn Kliniewski (Deptford, NJ/Deptford). Thompson sacrificed Kliniewski to third and she scored on a wild pitch moments later.
 
Rutgers-Camden scored an early unearned run in the second inning. Junior second baseman Mariah Hans (Barrington, NJ/Haddon Heights) doubled and eventually scored on a throwing error. The Gothic Knights, however, notched single runs in the third and fifth innings, with the go-ahead run scoring on an error.
 
Rutgers-Camden tied the game in the top of the sixth after senior rightfielder Jalene Garcia (Vineland, NJ/Vineland) had a one-out bunt single and stole second. She scored on a double to left field by Mason.
 
Both Mason and Garcia had two hits in the game. Thompson, meanwhile, tossed a four-hitter over eight innings, allowing two runs (one earned) and four walks. She struck out five.