CLERMONT, Fla. (March 15, 2025) – The Rutgers University-Camden softball team battled back from a big deficit only to lose its opener on an unearned run in the sixth inning of its opener at the PFX Spring Games here Saturday before falling in its second game on seven unearned runs.
 
The Scarlet Raptors lost to Wesleyan University, 6-5, and dropped an 8-4 decision against SUNY-Geneseo.
 
Wesleyan improved to 7-0, which includes wins over New Jersey Athletic Conference teams Rutgers-Camden and Montclair State at the PFX Spring Games.
 
Geneseo, which opened its season earlier on Saturday with a win over New Paltz, improved to 2-0.
 
Rutgers-Camden, 0-8, will be looking for its first win of the season when its spring break trip resumes on Sunday in Leesburg, Florida. Rutgers-Camden faces McDaniel College at 11:30 a.m. and SUNY-Cortland at 1:45 p.m.
   
The Cardinals took a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning and pulled out the win in the bottom of the sixth inning on an unearned run after the Scarlet Raptors had come back to tie the game at 5-5.
 
Wesleyan (Middletown, Connecticut) scored its winning run after a leadoff infield single by sophomore right fielder Nicole Celi, an infield error and a single by senior left field Lizzie Marino, which plated Celi.
 
Wesleyan scored four times in the third inning on four hits, a walk and an error. The big hit was a two-run double by senior pitcher Isabella Secaira-Cotto, who worked the first five innings and allowed only two hits and two unearned runs.
 
The Scarlet Raptors scored unearned runs in the fourth and fifth innings, while Wesleyan added a run in the bottom of the fourth. In the sixth, Rutgers-Camden tied the game with three runs, aided by a walk, an error and two hits. Freshman center fielder Ryleigh Lender ripped a two-run double in the frame, while sophomore pinch-hitter Alana Gannon tied the game with an RBI single.
 
Rutgers-Camden managed only four hits and one earned run off three Wesleyan pitchers, who were victimized by six Cardinal errors. Freshman Jacelyn Lees (3-0) earned the win with 1.1 perfect innings of relief, striking out three. Raptor sophomore Sammie Friel (0-4) took the loss, working five innings and allowing 10 hits, one walk and six runs, two of them unearned. She struck out nine.
 
Sophomore Anna Milillo worked out of a no-out, two-on jam in the sixth to prevent further damage, sandwiching a strikeout between two ground outs.
 
In addition to hits by Lender and Gannon, the Raptors received singles from senior left fielder Emily Dubiago and sophomore second baseman Madi Carr. Dubiago's single extended her season-opening hitting streak to seven games.
   
The Knights took advantage of six Rutgers-Camden errors to score seven unearned runs on the way to their win.
 
After both teams scored in the first inning, Geneseo (Geneseo, New York) scored the go-ahead run in the second inning on an RBI single by sophomore right fielder Amanda Audia. The Knights added four unearned runs in the third inning on five hits and an error to build a 6-1 lead.
 
Trailing, 8-1, Rutgers-Camden scored its final three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning on four hits and a walk. Gannon had a two-run pinch-hit single in the inning, while junior shortstop Gianna Bauer singled home the final run.
 
Raptor senior starter Lindsey Rodzon (0-1) was the tough-luck losing pitcher, giving up only one earned run out of the six she allowed in 2.2 innings. Sophomore Molly Skelly worked the final 4.1 innings, allowing two unearned runs, three hits and two walks. She struck out six.
 
Gannon went 2-for-2 with three RBIs in the two games.