CAMDEN, N.J. (May 4, 2021) – Throughout most of its New Jersey Athletic Conference Softball Championship first-round game here Tuesday, it appeared that Rutgers University-Camden was going to experience the same offensive frustrations that have hounded it most of the season.
One big break in the seventh inning, however, turned into a game-changing moment, and senior catcher
Alexis Davis provided the final heroics. Davis ripped a game-winning single to center as the seventh-seeded Scarlet Raptors stunned 10th-seeded New Jersey City University, 2-1, to advance into the NJAC quarterfinals.
Rutgers-Camden, which has won its last three games, will take a 9-12 record into the best-of-three NJAC quarterfinals. The Scarlet Raptors will travel to second-seeded The College of New Jersey for a weekend series. The teams will play a doubleheader Friday at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. If necessary, a winner-take-all game will be Saturday at 2 p.m.
NJAC bracket
TCNJ and Rutgers-Camden split a regular-season doubleheader in Camden on April 13, with the Scarlet Raptors winning the first game, 2-1, and the Lions taking the nightcap, 5-0.
New Jersey City ends its season at 0-19, but the Gothic Knights were within moments of making their first win of the season a playoff victory. Behind the pitching of freshman Sam Miller, NJCU took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth and retired the first two Raptor hitters. Junior
Karlie Kennedy kept the Raptors' hopes alive with an infield single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Junior pinch-hitter
Alexis Schauer drew a walk and freshman
Olivia Bull dropped down a bunt that was thrown away by the Gothic Knights' first baseman, allowing Kennedy to score the tying run.
Davis followed with her RBI single to center field, plating Schauer with the winning run.
The miracle rally made a winning pitcher out of senior
Sarah Byrnes, who hurled her 16th complete game of the year, allowing only five hits, one walk and one earned run. Byrnes (9-10) struck out nine while lowering her outstanding ERA to 1.81.
For most of the game, it appeared Byrnes might suffer her third 1-0 defeat in her last five games and fourth of the season. NJCU received a two-out triple in the first inning from freshman shortstop Emily Tunney and junior first baseman Emma Herrick singled her home.
Miller (0-6) did her best to make that run stand up, scattering four hits and walking only one. She struck out three while allowing only two unearned runs.
The lone player in the game with multiple hits was NJCU junior center fielder Brianna Loughlin, who went 2-for-3.
