CAMDEN, N.J. (April 16, 2024) – Freshman Sammie Friel hurled a one-hit shutout and junior third baseman Luci Hutchinson had two hits in each game and a shutout-saving defensive play in the opener as the Rutgers University-Camden softball team celebrated Senior Day by splitting a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader with Kean University here Saturday.
 
Rutgers-Camden won the opener, 1-0, and lost the nightcap, 10-4.
 
Between games the Scarlet Raptors honors three standout student-athletes in seniors Meg Gray, Kamryn Kennedy and Alexa McNee.  Senior Day gallery
 
Rutgers-Camden returns to NJAC play Tuesday with a 3 p.m. home doubleheader against Stockton University.
   
Friel hurled her fourth shutout of the season in impressive fashion, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning while nursing a 1-0 lead. With one out in the inning, however, junior first baseman Maya Thompson ripped a double to right-center field which barely eluded the diving try by center fielder McNee. Thompson continued to third on an outfield throwing error and was replaced by a pinch runner carrying the potential tying run.
 
Enter Hutchinson, whose heads-up defensive play potentially saved the game. On a grounder to third, she bluffed a throw to first base, turned and threw to shortstop Gray, covering the bag. The play picked off the runner diving back to the bag and Friel finished her gem with a called third strike. She struck out seven and walked two in her gem.
 
The Raptors scored the only run Friel needed with an unearned tally in the fourth inning off tough-luck losing pitcher Nikki Lusnia (7-8). With one out, Hutchinson singled to right field. She moved to second on a throwing error by the Cougars' third baseman, who attempted to retire her on an attempted sacrifice bunt by McNee. A passed ball moved both runners into scoring position before junior catcher Kendall Lafferty loaded the basses on the shortest possible single – a ball that died in fair territory in the batter's box that the Cougars hoped would roll foul. Freshman Alana Gannon followed with a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to right field.
 
The victory snapped Rutgers-Camden's 14-game losing streak against Kean. The Scarlet Raptors hadn't defeated the Cougars since April 10, 2016, in Union in the nightcap of a doubleheader. That game also was a 1-0 contest and went 10 innings.
 
Rutgers-Camden had seven hits off Lusnia, including a 2-for-3 game by Hutchinson, who scored the lone run.
   
The Cougars bounced back in the nightcap, breaking a scoreless tie with three runs on three hits in the top of the third inning against Raptor junior pitcher Lindey Rodzon. Rutgers-Camden bounced right back to tie the game in the bottom of the frame on a pair of clutch two-out hits, including a two-run single by sophomore second baseman Gianna Bauer and a game-tying RBI single by Hutchinson.
 
Kean took the lead for good in the fourth inning with three unearned runs, aided by three hits and two errors. The Cougars tacked on three more runs in the fifth and one in the sixth.
 
Rutgers-Camden scored its final run in the fifth inning, an unearned tally on an RBI single by Hutchinson.
 
Thompson finished the game 3-for-5 with one run and two RBIs for Kean, while senior center fielder Melody Caces and sophomore right fielder Brianna Sciulli both added two hits.
 
Hutchinson went 2-for-4 with two RBIs for the Raptors, while Bauer had one hit and two RBIs. Junior left fielder Emily Dubiago went 2-for-3 with one run and Gray scored two runs.