CAMDEN, N.J. (March 19, 2024) – Freshman Anna Milillo hurled a two-hitter, allowing only one unearned run as the Rutgers University-Camden softball team defeated Alvernia University, 2-1, in the second game to earn a doubleheader split in its home opener here Tuesday.
 
The Golden Wolves won a pitching duel in the opening game, 2-0, behind a two-hit shutout from senior Maggie Loomis.
 
The split leaves the Scarlet Raptors with a 5-7 record, heading into another non-conference home doubleheader Thursday against Albright College. The twinbill begins at 3 p.m.
 
Alvernia University owns a 9-5 record after Tuesday's split.
   
The first game was a tremendous pitching duel between Loomis and Scarlet Raptor freshman Sammie Friel, with Alvernia scoring the only runs of the game in the second inning. Junior catcher Jaclyn Barbera had a leadoff single and two outs later, junior third baseman Payton Splain drew a walk. Sophomore left fielder Alexia Fitzgerald followed with a hard-hit grounder that rolled all the way to the right-center field fence for a two-run double.
 
Friel (2-2) finished with a six-hitter, allowing five walks and two earned runs, while striking out 11. Fitzgerald and junior center fielder Brooke Hauck both had two hits for the Golden Wolves.
 
Loomis didn't strike out or walk anybody in her two-hit shutout as she raised her record to 4-2. She allowed only a single to sophomore second baseman Gianna Bauer in the fourth inning and a fifth-inning single to junior catcher Kendall Lafferty.
   
In the second game, it was Rutgers-Camden's turn to win a tough pitching duel as Milillo (3-1) edged Alvernia sophomore Natalie Berwick (2-1). Milillo allowed only singles by freshman shortstop Taylor McClain in the third inning and Fitzgerald in the fifth. She walked four and struck out four.
 
Berwick allowed only four hits – two by junior third baseman Luci Hutchinson – while walking one and striking out three. One of the runs she allowed was unearned.
 
Rutgers-Camden scored a run in the second inning after Hutchinson led off with a single, was sacrificed to second by senior center fielder Alexa McNee and advanced to third on a single by Lafferty. She scored when freshman designated player Alana Gannon fouled out along the fence in left field, deep enough for a sacrifice fly.
 
The Raptors added an unearned run in the third inning after junior left fielder Emily Dubiago singled and senior shortstop Meg Gray reached on Berwick's throwing error on her sacrifice bunt. Sophomore right fielder Ava Maloof sacrificed the runners to second and third and Bauer hit a sacrifice fly to center field.
 
Alvernia's run came in the fifth inning on an error, a passed ball, a sacrifice and an RBI single by Fitzgerald.