CAMDEN, N.J. (April 17, 2019) – Sophomore catcher Alexis Davis capped a huge rally with a game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Rutgers University-Camden softball team earned a split with a 9-8 victory over Catholic University of America in the nightcap of a non-conference doubleheader here Wednesday.
 
Catholic won the opener, 2-0, behind the shutout pitching of junior Sabrina Scott.
 
The split leaves the Scarlet Raptors with an 8-18 record, but a 2-2 mark in the last two days. Catholic, based in Washington, D.C., is 16-18.
 
 The Scarlet Raptors are scheduled to play a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader Friday at 1 p.m. at William Paterson University.
   
Scott tossed a six-hit shutout, walking three and striking out three, to raise her record to 9-7 and win a pitching duel over the Scarlet Raptor combination of sophomore Sarah Byrnes and junior Mackenzie Lafferty. Byrnes worked the first four shutout innings, allowing six hits and notching one strikeout. Lafferty hurled shutout ball into the seventh inning before a one-out walk to freshman left fielder Marissa Bruder and a ground out gave the Cardinals a runner in scoring position. Scott delivered a ground rule double to left field, plating Bruder, and later scored an insurance run on an error.
 
Lafferty (0-2) finished with three innings of work, allowing two hits and one walk, while striking out one. One of the two runs she allowed was unearned.
 
Sophomore center fielder Makayla Czan went 2-for-4 for the Cardinals as the lone player in the game with multiple hits.
   
Davis' game-winning hit capped a wild comeback for the Scarlet Raptors, who trailed 7-2 midway through the third inning after Catholic plated six runs in the frame, capped by a two-run home run from sophomore shortstop Gisella Diaz.
 
The winning rally started with junior first baseman Marissa Beebe at second base under the international tie-breaker rule. She was sacrificed to third by junior Rachel Edwards, who only moments earlier had made a terrific catch of a line drive at third base to keep Catholic off the scoreboard in the top of the ninth inning. Davis, pictured above, followed by blooping her single into right center field to cap the huge Raptor win.
 
Rutgers-Camden started its rally with an unearned run in the bottom of the third inning. Senior right fielder Kacie Pisani hit a leadoff double, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a ground out by Byrnes.
 
The Raptors cut their deficit to 7-5 with two runs in the fifth, sparked by a leadoff walk from freshman left fielder Kimmy Musarra. Pisani and Byrnes added back-to-back singles, with Byrnes driving home Musarra. Beebe singled to load the bases before Edwards delivered a sacrifice fly to center field.
 
Rutgers-Camden tied the game in the sixth with two unearned runs, starting with a two-out double by freshman shortstop Jordan Howey. A bunt by Musarra was thrown away up the right field line, allowing Howey to score and Musarra to reach second base. She stole third and scored the tying run when Pisani reached on an error.
 
Both teams matched runs in the eighth inning with the international tie-breaker rule in effect. Catholic took the lead when sophomore third baseman Sophie Maccarone doubled home the Cardinals' tie-breaker runner. Rutgers-Camden's tie-breaker runner, senior center fielder Lauren Glaze, was sacrificed to third by freshman pinch-hitter Becca Donahue. She scored when Musarra reached on an infield error.
 
In the top of the ninth, Catholic's tie-breaker runner was Scott, who reached third base with one out before Diaz hit a grounder to first base. Beebe threw out Scott at the plate for the second out of the inning and Edwards ended the frame with her diving stab of a line drive ticketed for left field.
 
The Raptors' comeback was made possible by the stellar relief pitching of senior Kendra Pfister, who worked 6-2/3 innings of five-hit relief, walking two and striking out four. Pfister (3-5) allowed two runs, only one of them earned.
 
Byrnes went 4-for-5 with one run and two RBIs in the second game while serving as the designated player. Pisani went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and Edwards was 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
 
Scott and Bruder both went 3-for-5 for Catholic University, including a first-inning solo home run by Scott.