Freshman shortstop
Tina Aita
Scarlet Raiders Sweep Golden Eagles
Rutgers-Newark Softball
4/16/2009 9:54:54 PM
NEWARK, NJ – Freshman shortstop
Tina Aita laced a walk off single to left center plating sophomore Shannon Davis to propel Rutgers-Newark to a dramatic 13-12 win over St. Joseph’s College (LI) in a non-conference tilt at Alumni Field.
NCAA Box Score and Play-By-Play
Rutgers-Newark 13, SJC 12 (8 Innings)
Aita finished the day three-for-four with four RBIs and a run scored, while junior Sam Weer and sophomore third baseman Ashley Angeli each went two-for-four with two RBIs and a run scored. Davis and freshman first baseman Kat Renteria combined for three hits, three RBIs and five runs scored, while sophomore centerfielder Jessica Zelaya went two-for-five with two runs scored.
St. Joseph’s (LI) opened up scoring in the top of the first when sophomore Erica Stark scored on fellow sophomore Amanda Macaluso’s grounder to first base.
The Scarlet Raiders responded in the bottom half of the stanza, knotting the game at one on Aita’s two-out double to left center that scored Davis.
Rutgers-Newark would tack on five runs in the bottom of the second on four hits to take a 6-1 advantage. Weer tallied her first RBI of the afternoon with a one-out triple to left field that scored sophomore Courtney Breauxsaus, before scoring on an Angeli infield single.
After a Zelaya single and a walk to sophomore second baseman Emily Ibarra loaded the bases, Davis flied out to center, driving in Angeli for the Scarlet Raiders’ third run of the inning. Rutgers-Newark would tally its final two runs of the frame on an error by Stark.
The Golden Eagles would respond with a big inning of their own, scoring six runs on three hits and a pair of Rutgers-Newark errors to take a 7-6 lead in the top of the third, but the gritty Scarlet Raiders would battle back, tying the game in the bottom half of the inning on Angeli’s two-out single through the right side.
Down 8-7 following an Aita RBI double to right center in the bottom of the fourth, the Golden Eagles regained the advantage with a three run fifth. Stark sparked the St. Joseph’s (LI) rally with an RBI single down the rightfield line, before a Breauxsaus error with one out and two on allowed a pair of Golden Eagles to cross the plate.
The Scarlet Raiders would regain control of the see-saw affair scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 12-10 lead.
Back-to-back singles by Zelaya and Ibarra coupled with a throwing error on Golden Eagles’ junior shortstop Natalie Czelowalnik pushed Rutgers-Newark’s first run across the dish, before a pair of walks loaded the bases.
After two straight outs, Renteria singled to left center scoring Aita and Davis, before Weer singled to left field plating junior Amber Affholter capping the Scarlet Raider rally.
Down to their last out in the top half of the seventh, freshman Alyssa Sieber hit a two RBI single to right field scoring Stark and freshman Courtney Frisina tying the game at 12.
After a scoreless bottom of the seventh and top of the eighth, Aita collected her fourth and final RBI of the afternoon with a walk off single to left center scoring Davis, giving Rutgers-Newark a 13-12 victory in the first game of a scheduled doubleheader.
The Golden Eagles forfeited game two of the twinbill after the top of the fourth inning with the Scarlet Raiders ahead 11-5.
Rutgers-Newark will travel to Rowan on Saturday, April 18 for a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader with Rowan before returning home for a twinbill with league rival William Paterson on Tuesday, April 21.