UNION, N.J. (April 30, 2024) – The Rutgers University-Camden softball team allowed four unearned runs over the first two innings and went on to lose to Kean University in its opener of the double-elimination New Jersey Athletic Conference playoffs, 8-3, here Tuesday.
 
Rutgers-Camden, the tournament's sixth seed, falls to 17-24 and drops into the losers' bracket, where it will play an elimination game Saturday at 1 p.m. at fourth-seeded Stockton University. Stockton lost to fifth-seeded The College of New Jersey, 4-0, on Tuesday in Galloway.
 
Third-seeded Kean advances to Saturday's winner's bracket game at 1 p.m. at second-seeded Ramapo College.

NJAC playoff bracket
 
Rutgers-Camden, playing in its first NJAC playoff game since 2021, when all teams in the conference made the tournament cut, qualified for the six-team conference field for the first time since 2016. The Scarlet Raptors' bad fortunes against Kean continued over the first two innings as Rutgers-Camden lost to the Cougars for the 17th time in its last 18 games. The only win in that stretch came earlier this season when the teams split a doubleheader in Camden on April 13.
 
Kean took the lead for good with an unearned run in the first inning off Raptor freshman starter Sammie Friel (9-9). A two-out error led to that run.
 
The Cougars added three hits and took advantage of another Rutgers-Camden error in the second inning to produce three more unearned runs. Senior third baseman Karly Messina had a two-run single in the inning.
 
The Scarlet Raptors broke the shutout bid of Kean sophomore pitcher Nikki Lusnia (14-8) in the third inning when senior shortstop Meg Gray opened the frame with a walk. She was erased on a fielder's choice by freshman left fielder Alana Gannon. Senior center fielder Alexa McNee sacrificed Gannon to second base and junior right fielder Emily Dubiago, playing in her 100th career game at Rutgers-Camden, followed with an RBI single.
 
Kean countered with two runs in the bottom of the third on a walk, a single and a two-run triple by junior second baseman Eliza Filus.
 
After the Scarlet Raptors scored an unearned run in the top of the fifth inning, Kean responded with three hits and two runs in the bottom of the inning, making it an 8-2 game. Rutgers-Camden added its final run in the sixth inning following back-to-back singles by junior third baseman Luci Hutchinson and senior designated player Kamryn Kennedy. After a sacrifice by sophomore second baseman Gianna Bauer, sophomore first baseman Bella Lynch walked to load the bases. Freshman pinch-hitter Devyn Jordan walked to force home a run.
 
Lusnia finished with a four-hitter, allowing five walks and three runs, two of them earned. She struck out five. Friel worked the first three innings for Rutgers-Camden, allowing seven hits and six runs, only two of them earned. She walked three and struck out five. Junior Lindsey Rodzon pitched the final three innings, allowing four hits, three walks and two earned runs. She struck out three.
 
Messina paced the Cougars' 11-hit attack, going 3-for-4 with one run and three RBIs.
 
Nobody on the Scarlet Raptors had more than one hit, while Dubiago and Jordan collected the lone RBIs. Hutchinson had two assists at third base, giving her 201 for her career and making her only the seventh player in program history to pass 200 assists.