Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

GLASSBORO, N.J. (April 14, 2018) – First-year Rutgers University-Camden Head Coach Meredith McCarthy spent her last five seasons as an assistant with the Rowan University softball program. McCarthy and most of her Rowan-raised assistant staff – Shilah Snead, Meagan Lee and Jessica Phillips – returned to the Glassboro campus for the first time as Scarlet Raptors here Tuesday.
 
Unfortunately for Rutgers-Camden, nationally-ranked Rowan spoiled the homecoming as it swept the Scarlet Raptors in a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader, winning 5-2 in the opener and 9-0 in a five-inning nightcap perfect game.
 
Rowan, ranked No. 21 in the latest NFCA Division III national poll, improves to 21-6-1 overall and 7-3 in the conference. Rutgers-Camden falls to 9-14 overall and 2-8 in the NJAC.
 
Rutgers-Camden's next scheduled action is Saturday when it hosts Montclair State University in a 1 p.m. NJAC doubleheader.
   
With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, deadlocked at 2-2, Rowan's second baseman Sonia Sharma lashed a bases-clearing triple to right center for the deciding margin. Rowan had opened the frame with a single by winning pitcher Jesse DeDomenico, followed by a walk to right fielder Morgan Smith. After a sacrifice and a ground out, the Profs loaded the bases on a two-out walk to designated player KadyMae Makos. Sharma followed with her triple.
 
The Scarlet Raptors had taken a 1-0 lead in the third inning when junior right fielder Lauren Glaze (Collingswood, NJ/Collingswood) opened the frame getting hit by a pitch and was sacrificed to second by junior left fielder Kacie Pisani (Barrington, NJ/Haddon Heights). Freshman shortstop Nina Arroyo (Delran, NJ/Delran) singled her home.
 
Rowan scored twice in the fourth on three hits. Catcher Nicole Paiotti singled home the tying run and scored on a double by Makos.
 
Rutgers-Camden bounced back to tie the game in the fifth on an error, a walk, a hit batsman and a RBI single by Pisani.
 
DeDomenico (12-3) hurled a six-hitter, allowing only one earned run out of the two that Rutgers-Camden scored. She walked two, hit two and struck out five.
 
Junior Kendra Pfister (Dacula, GA/Dacula) took the loss to fall to 4-9. She allowed five hits in 5-1/3 innings, walking three and striking out two, while allowing five earned runs. Pfister, pictured above, and Pisani had two hits apiece for the Scarlet Raptors.
   
Sophomore Lauren Shannon (7-1) tossed a five-inning perfect game at the Scarlet Raptors, striking out 10, including the side in both the first and fifth innings. It was the first perfect game against Rutgers-Camden since Montclair State's Alex Hill tossed a 4-0 perfecto against the Raptors in the opening game of an April 22, 2011 doubleheader.
 
Shannon's effort also marked the second time the Raptors have been no-hit this season. They lost a 2-1 no-hitter at Catholic University in the second game of a twinbill on March 29. That no-hitter was a combination gem by pitchers Claire Sturek and Sabrina Scott.
 
Rowan scored two runs apiece in both the first and second innings, then put the margin over the eight-run rule with a five-run fourth inning. Shortstop Carly Anderson and third baseman Cassandra Gerard had two RBIs apiece, while Gerard, left fielder DeDomenico and Sharma each had two hits in the Profs' 11-hit attack.
 
Freshman Kennedy Whalen (Williamstown, NJ/Gateway Regional) worked 3-2/3 innings and allowed all 11 hits and nine runs, although four were unearned due to three Raptor errors. Whalen (4-5) walked three and struck out two.