KISSIMMEE, Florida (March 10, 2024) – Freshman pitcher Sammie Friel hurled a one-hit shutout against Plymouth State University Sunday night as the Rutgers University-Camden softball team split a pair of games at the PFX Spring Games.
 
After losing a close 3-2 decision against Washington College earlier in the day, Rutgers-Camden won its second game of the day when Friel blanked Plymouth State University, 9-0.
 
The Sunday split leaves the Scarlet Raptors with a 2-2 record on their spring break trip to Florida. They have a day off Monday before returning to action in Clermont, Florida on Tuesday. They will face Wesleyan University (Middletown, Conn.) at 9 a.m. and Lakeland University (Plymouth, Wisconsin) at 11:15 a.m.
   
The Scarlet Raptors' first game of the day was a pitching duel between Rutgers-Camden junior Lindsey Rodzon (0-2) and Washington College sophomore Brynn Balliet (2-1). The Shorewomen, from Chestertown, Maryland, scored a pair of first-inning runs and went on to outlast the Scarlet Raptors, 3-2.
 
Washington College raised its record to 3-4-1, while Rutgers-Camden fell to 1-2.
 
Balliet hurled an eight-hitter, walking two, striking out four and allowing two runs, only one earned. Rodzon also threw a complete game, allowing six hits, two walks and three earned runs without a strikeout.
 
Four of the hits off Rodzon came in the two-run first inning, including an RBI single by sophomore center fielder Julia Wegarz and a run-scoring double by junior left fielder Lilly Cook. The Shorewomen added their final run in the fourth inning on a double by sophomore second baseman Gracelyn Goforth, a sacrifice bunt by junior first baseman Maddy Kendall and a sacrifice fly by sophomore catcher Becca Foulk.
 
Rutgers-Camden scored single runs in the third and fourth innings. The Raptors put the first two batters on base in the bottom of the seventh before Balliet worked out of the jam by retiring the next three hitters.
 
In the Raptors' third inning, sophomore first baseman Bella Lynch hit a one-out single and advanced on a two-out error. Sophomore left fielder Ava Maloof drove home the run with an infield single. In the fourth inning, senior center fielder Alexa McNee and sophomore second baseman Gianna Bauer set the table with one-out singles. McNee scored on a fielder's choice by Lynch.
 
Weglarz went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI for Washington College.
 
Maloof went 3-for-4 for the Scarlet Raptors, while McNee was 2-for-3 with one run scored. Lynch went 1-for-2 with one walk, one run and one RBI.
   
Friel (1-0) allowed only a bunt single by sophomore center fielder with two outs in the sixth inning as she hurled a shutout for her first collegiate win. She hit one batter and walked three batters -- all with two outs in the seventh inning – before ending the game with a called third strike for her ninth strikeout of the night.
 
The Scarlet Raptors scored the only run Friel needed in the first inning when Maloof reached on an error, stole second and came around to score on a pair of wild pitches.
 
The Scarlet Raptors added a pair of runs in the third inning on two walks, a passed ball and a pair of errors, and scored an unearned run in the fifth. The Raptors broke the game open in the sixth inning on RBI singles from Maloof and senior shortstop Meg Gray to make it a 6-0 game. They scored their final three runs in the top of the seventh inning on an error, a walk, two passed balls and three hits. Junior left fielder Emily Dubiago had an RBI single in the frame.
 
For the game, both McNee and Dubiago went 2-for-4 and scored one run, while Dubiago also collected one RBI. Maloof and Gray both had one hit and two runs scored, with Gray going 1-for-1 with three walks.