CAMDEN, N.J. (April 7, 2023) – The Rutgers University-Camden softball team battled back to win the opening game of a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader here Friday before losing the second game against William Paterson University.
 
The Scarlet Raptors rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win the first game, 4-3, in the eighth inning. They lost the second game, 7-3.
 
The split leaves the Raptors at 6-16 overall and 3-3 in the NJAC, while Paterson stands at 14-5-1 and 1-4-1.
 
Senior right fielder Jayden Hunter and sophomore left fielder Emily Dubiago hit safely in both games to extend their hitting streaks to 16 and 13 games, respectively. Hunter finished the day 3-for-5 with one run and one RBI, while Dubiago went 2-for-5 with one run and one RBI.
 
Rutgers-Camden returns to action Tuesday when it hosts Montclair State University in a 3 p.m. NJAC twinbill.
   
After Rutgers-Camden held Paterson scoreless in the top of the eighth inning, the Scarlet Raptors walked off the game on an error. With sophomore third baseman Luci Hutchinson starting the frame on second base as the international tie-breaker runner, senior designated player Rachel White opened the frame hitting a grounder to third base. The ball was thrown away for an error, allowing Hutchinson to score the winning run.
 
The Scarlet Raptors scored a run in the third inning after a leadoff walk to junior shortstop Danielle Quinones. She was sacrificed to second by freshman first baseman Bella Lynch and scored on an error when Dubiago reached on a fielder's choice.
 
Paterson scored three times in the top of the fifth inning on three hits and three walks, two of them intentional. The big hit was a two-run single by catcher Kylie Bythrow.
 
Rutgers-Camden got one run back in the bottom of the frame on back-to-back doubles by Dubiago and Hunter. The Scarlet Raptors tied the game in the sixth inning when Hutchinson walked, advanced on a wild pitch and was sacrificed to third by White. Senior second baseman Cate Petrucelli followed with an RBI single.
 
Sophomore Lindsey Rodzon picked up the win to hike her record to 6-8. She worked all eight innings, allowing 11 hits, four walks and three earned runs. She struck out one.  
In the second game, four Rutgers-Camden errors led to all seven runs being unearned off tough-luck losing pitcher White (0-8). The senior hurler allowed eight hits and five walks, while striking out four.
 
Rutgers-Camden scored an unearned run in the bottom of the first inning when Hunter hit a leadoff double, advanced on a passed ball and scored on a sacrifice fly by Hutchinson.
 
A two-out walk, single and an error loaded the bases for the Pioneers in the second inning before left fielder Jillian Bigos drove home three runs with a double. She scored on a single by center fielder Jasmine Vera.
 
The Pioneers took a 4-1 lead into the top of the seventh inning before two errors, two hits and a walk led to three more unearned runs.
 
The Scarlet Raptors rallied in the bottom of the seventh, sparked when White reached on a leadoff error. She scored on a double by Petrucelli. Two outs later, Lynch walked and Dubiago singled home Petrucelli. Junior Gianna Mulato relieved freshman starter Lilah Guthy and walked Hunter before getting the last out on a line drive to left field.
 
Guthy (6-1) worked 6.2 innings of three-hit ball, allowing only three unearned runs. She walked four and didn't strike out a batter.