KISSIMMEE, FL – Sophomore shortstop
Tina Aita’s 2-out, 2-run double capped a 3-run seventh- inning rally which lifted Rutgers-Newark to a 6-5 win over Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in the Scarlet Raiders’ final contest in the Rebel Spring Games.
Rutgers-Newark 6, Mass.-Liberal Arts 5
Senior catcher
Amber Affholter, who went three for four, started the rally with an RBI infield single. Affholter also contributed an RBI single to start a 3-run rally in the third for the Raiders (3-5) who snapped a 5-game losing streak.
Freshman
Angela Riscinti got the victory in relief of classmate and starter
Samantha Veneziano. Veneziano took a 2-hitter into the fifth inning, but the Trailblazers (1-6) erupted for four runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 5-3 lead. Veneziano gave up four runs on just four hits while striking out one and walking one, leaving the bases loaded and no one out in the fifth.
Riscinti gave up a base-loaded walk, a sacrifice fly and a 2-run double before settling down to end the fifth inning uprising with a strikeout. Over the final two innings, she allowed just one base runner on an infield error while striking out four.
Senior centerfielder
Jessica Zelaya, who went two for four and scored twice, and senior second baseman
Emily Ibarra singled after Veneziano reached on an infield error to load the bases with no one out in the third. Affholter then singled to left field before freshman rightfielder
Quiana Gleaves slapped a 2-run single past the second baseman to give the Raiders a 3-1 edge.
Rutgers-Newark hosts Brooklyn College on Tuesday at 4 p.m. in its home opening doubleheader on Alumni Field.