CAMDEN, N.J. (April 11, 2023) – The Rutgers University-Camden softball team made a statement here Tuesday that it's a playoff-caliber team in the New Jersey Athletic Conference.
 
Rutgers-Camden swept past Montclair State University, 5-2 and 6-3, in a key conference doubleheader to raise its NJAC mark to 5-3. The Raptors, 8-16 overall, are tied for third place in the conference with The College of New Jersey and Stockton University.
 
Montclair State, which entered the game tied with Rutgers-Camden in the NJAC standings, falls to 3-5 in the conference. The Red Hawks are 17-9 overall.
 
Rutgers-Camden returns to NJAC action Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Ramapo College, which stands in second place in the conference.
   
In the opening game, sophomore Lindsey Rodzon hurled a complete game six-hitter, allowing only one earned run. She walked two and struck out two.
 
After falling behind in the first inning on an unearned run, Rutgers-Camden took the lead for good with a four-run third inning. Sophomore left fielder Emily Dubiago opened the frame with a single and senior right fielder Jayden Hunter walked. After a sacrifice by junior center fielder Alexa McNee, sophomore third baseman Luci Hutchinson walked to load the bases. One out later, the Raptors got back-to-back two-run doubles from senior second baseman Cate Petrucelli and senior catcher Zoe Rodriguez.
 
Camden added its final run in the fourth on an RBI single by McNee.
 
Montclair State threatened in the seventh, scoring one run, but Rodzon fanned the potential tying run to end the game, stranding two runners.
 
Hutchinson, McNee and Dubiago all had two hits in the Raptors' nine-hit attack. Hutchinson also made two fine plays at third base to cut down runners at the plate.
   
The Scarlet Raptors scored two quick runs in the first inning on two hits, including a double by McNee and RBI single by Hutchinson, and one error. Montclair State, however, chipped away with a run in the second and two in the third to grab a 3-2 lead.
 
The Scarlet Raptors regained the lead for good in the fourth when Hutchinson was hit by a pitch, Petrucelli singled and Rodriguez sacrificed them to second and third. Junior shortstop Danielle Quinones tied the game with a sacrifice fly and freshman first baseman Bella Lynch singled home the eventual winning run.
 
The Raptors added two runs in the sixth on a two-run single by Quinones.
 
Rodzon, in relief of senior starter Rachel White, earned the win in the nightcap as well, pitching 4.2 innings of two-hit shutout ball. She walked one and struck out two to even her record at 8-8.
 
Hutchinson had two more hits in the nightcap, finishing her day going 4-for-5 with three runs and one RBI.
 
The only drawback on the day came in the second game when the long hitting streaks by Hunter and Dubiago were snapped. Hunter finished with a 17-game hitting streak, tied for the second-longest in program history behind a 19-game streak from Brittany Scott in 2016. Dubiago had a 14-game hitting streak snapped.