CAMDEN, N.J.  – Big innings dictated the day as No. 25 William Paterson split a doubleheader at Rutgers-Camden, falling 10-7 in the opener before rebounding to score 11 unanswered runs and upend the Scarlet Raptors, 13-5, April 24.
 
Game One | Rutgers-Camden 10, WP 7
 
WP (21-13, 8-8 NJAC) led 7-3 heading into the bottom of the sixth, but Camden (10-17, 3-11 NJAC) put up a seven-run inning on six hits and one error to complete a come from behind victory.
 
Big innings were the theme in game one, as WP had one of its own in the top of the third. Sophomore designated player Andee Lupica (Maywood, N.J./Immaculate Conception) ignited a five-run inning with a solo home run to left to lead off the frame, her first career home run. After the long ball, WP went to small ball as freshman catcher Alexis Davis (Delanco, N.J./Riverside) walked and senior center fielder Eleni Lutas (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock) singled to the pitcher. Sophomore Ryan Tighe (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) put down her team-leading sixth sacrifice bunt before three consecutive singles from junior third baseman Christine Griffith (Upper Saddle River, N.J./Northern Highlands Regional), freshman first baseman Caitlyn Massaro (Madison, N.J./Madison) and senior left fielder Kara Molnar (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial) put the Pioneers up, 4-0. An errant pitch followed by a throwing error in attempt to retire Massaro at third base allowed the rookie to score, completing WP's five-run third.
 
The Scarlet Raptors scratched out a run in the third on a single and a two-out double from freshman shortstop Nina Arroyo. Senior center fielder Gabrielle Castellini homered to left center, cutting WP's lead to 5-2 after four.
 
William Paterson got those two runs right back in the top of the fifth. Massaro went the opposite way for a single to left field before Molnar hooked a single into right field. Massaro was forced out on senior Adelle Hickman (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Liberty)'s grounder to third base, but a throwing error on the ensuing attempt to turn two allowed Hickman to advanced to second, scoring Molnar in the process. Freshman shortstop Sydney Pace (Kearny, N.J./Kearny) made Camden pay again for the miscue, driving in Hickman with an RBI-base knock to left for the 7-2 advantage.
 
Camden native and freshman starter Sarah Byrnes (Cherry Hill, N.J./Camden Catholic) permitted another run in the bottom of the fifth before WP ran into Camden's decisive seven-run sixth. Camden didn't notch a single extra-base hit in the frame but used six singles, three walks, two stolen bases and an error to surpass WP, 10-7. Byrnes was relieved after permitting two singles and seeing a passed ball go to the screen to start the sixth. Lupica took the ball before surrendering three earned and the eventual game-winning run prior to rookie righty Alexis Davidson (Hamilton, N.J./Nottingham) finishing up the frame.
 
WP threatened, putting the tying run at the plate with one out in the top of the seventh, but Rutgers-Camden junior Kendra Pfister recorded back-to-back strikeouts to retire the Pioneers.
 
Massaro is 8-for-10 with five RBI and two runs scored in her past three games after going 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Lutas notched her second assist of the season, throwing out a runner at home from center field in addition to going 2-for-4 with a double and a run. Molnar went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI and Lupica belted her first roundtripper.
 
The first five batters in Camden's lineup all had at least one hit, led by junior left fielder Kaci Pisani and Castellini's 3-for-4 performances.
 
Lupica (2-5) faced four batters in the loss, permitting three runs on one hit and two walks. Byrnes received a no-decision after giving up seven earned runs on 13 hits in 5.0 innings, striking out four.
 
Camden never went to its bullpen as Pfister (5-10) hung on for the win. The righty struck out two, walked two and allowed seven runs, five earned, on 12 hits.
 
Game Two | WP 13, Rutgers-Camden 5
 
The Pioneers came with their own seven-run inning in game two, exploding for the game-altering inning to vault past a 5-3 deficit en route to a 13-5 triumph. Molnar tied the 2018 New Jersey Athletic Conference single-game record for doubles in a game with three as part of a 13-hit offensive.
 
Picking up with things in the fifth, Griffith unloaded for the eventual-game winning grand slam, driving in Lutas, Tighe and Molnar on the blast to spring WP ahead, 7-5. Lutas led off the inning with a double before Tighe singled to center and Molnar drew a free pass. A trio of singles by Massaro, Hickman and Pace reloaded the bags before Davis drove in Massaro on a sacrifice fly. Up 8-5, Lutas, Tighe and Molnar each grinded out a walk to double up the lead to 10-5.
 
WP's lead swelled some more in the seventh courtesy of one of Molnar's doubles, and her second two-RBI double of the day. Molnar later moved to third on a wild pitch, Griffith walked and with runners on the corners, Griffith baited a throw on a steal attempt to second base, plating Molnar on what was ruled a throwing error.
 
Rewinding to the early scoring, WP jumped ahead 2-0 in the first inning on Molnar's first two-RBI double of the day, but the lead quickly shifted to Rutgers-Camden in the second. Trailing 2-1 after Castellini homered for the second time on the day, freshman pitcher Kennedy Whalen put the Scarlet Raptors ahead with a two-run roundtripper to left center.
 
Rutgers-Camden created their largest lead, a 5-2 upperhand, with two singles, walks and stolen bases respectively. Lupica provided an offensive jolt before the big outburst with an RBI double to left center, scoring Hickman in the top of the fourth.
 
Molnar not only double three times but she drove in four runners, scored twice and reached safely five times after walking two times. Tighe went 3-for-4 with a game-high three runs, Lupica reached safely three times and Griffith bumped her season-RBI total to 36 with four on the day.
 
Castellini wound up going 6-for-8 in the twin bill after another 3-for-4 game that was a triple short of the cycle.
 
Davidson started and went 2.2 innings, allowing all of Rutgers-Camden's runs on five hits and two walks while fanning one. Byrnes (15-5) entered in the bottom of the third and spun 4.1 dominant innings, allowing just three hits and two walks, fanning three in the win.
 
Whalen (4-7) allowed six earned runs in relief on five hits and a walk to suffer the loss. Pfister tried to outlast WP for the second time on the day but could not, allowing seven runs, six earned, on eight hits. The Pioneers were patient at the plate, drawing seven walks off of Pfister while only being fanned once by the righty.
 
WP plays a pair of important New Jersey Athletic Conference games when it hosts New Jersey City Saturday, April 28 at 1:00 p.m.. Softball will honor its seniors for Senior Day following the twin bill
 
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