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WAYNE, N.J.  – Freshman shortstop Sydney Pace (Kearny, N.J./Kearny) belted the eventual game-winning two-run home in a 6-4 victory in game one, although a four-run fifth inning helped the Rutgers-Newark Scarlet Raiders (15-6, 1-3 NJAC) edge William Paterson, 5-4, in the second half of a double dip Sunday, April 8.
 
Game One: WP 6, Rutgers-Newark 4
 
WP (15-7, 2-2 NJAC) resiliently fought back to claim game one, scoring twice in the fourth and fifth inning to surmount a 4-2 deficit en route to the 6-4 triumph. Senior second baseman Adelle Hickman (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Liberty) doubled, advanced to third on a wild pitch before Pace took care of the final 60 feet with a towering home run to straight away left field, breaking a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Another freshman had a strong performance, as rookie righty Sarah Byrnes (Cherry Hill, N.J./Camden Catholic) closed the door on the Scarlet Raiders in the top of the seventh, setting them down in order to pick up her seventh complete game of the season.
 
Rutgers-Newark did strike first in a game that featured four lead changes and one tie. Freshman shortstop Jaclyn Arute tripled and scored on a single up the middle from sophomore right fielder Sarah Stiehler, putting the Scarlet Raiders up 1-0 in the third inning.
 
Tighe lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring sophomore pinch runner Vanessa Archibold (Saddle Brook, N.J./Saddle Brook), and Griffith hooked an RBI single through the left side to score senior center fielder Eleni Lutas (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock), putting WP ahead, 2-1, after three.
 
The tables turned again when sophomore left fielder Brielle Matiello drove in two in the top of the fourth on a single back up the box. Freshman designated player Julie Contravo doubled up the Rutgers-Newark lead with a solo home run to dead center in the top of the fifth to complete the Scarlet Raiders' scoring.
 
Not lost in WP's comeback was a clutch two-out two-RBI triple to right center off the bat of senior left fielder Kara Molnar (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial) in the bottom of the fifth, knotting the game at four as she plated sophomore right fielder Ryan Tighe (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) and junior third baseman Christine Griffith (Upper Saddle River, N.J./Northern Highlands Regional).
 
Six Pioneers recorded at least one hit in a balanced attack, led by Lutas, Griffith and Hickman who had two apiece. Molnar's triple was her fifth of the season, and Pace's two RBI gave her the fourth multi-RBI game of her rookie season.
 
Matiello went 1-for-3 with two RBI, Arute tripled and scored and Contravo clubbed her fourth homer of the year.
 
Byrnes (10-3) struck out three and scattered seven hits and one free pass to notch double-digits in the win column. The righty worked 13 fly outs or pop outs on the day.
 
Rookie righty Paige Masiello (8-4) took the loss, allowing five earned runs on eight hits and two walks in 5.0 frames. Masiello faced one batter in the bottom of the sixth, allowing a triple to Hickman, before being replaced by senior hurler Kelly Yusko. Yusko permitted Pace's home run prior to finishing the bottom of the sixth.
 
Game Two: Rutgers-Newark 5, WP 4
 
The Pioneers trailed 5-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning and scored three unanswered runs, although the Orange and Black left Griffith as the tying run on second base in the bottom of the seventh as the Scarlet Raiders escaped, 5-4.
 
Arute scored from third on a first-and-third double steal for the 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but Molnar promptly tied it at 1-1 by driving in Griffith with an RBI double to left center in the bottom of the frame.
 
Yusko and Byrnes quieted the bats on both sides before Rutgers-Newark broke the 1-1 deadlock with four in the fifth. Stiehler lifted a sacrifice fly down the left field line, senior infielder Morgan Walizer made it 3-1 with an RBI single through the right side and Contravo delivered the decisive blow on a two-run home run to left field.
 
WP clawed back, scoring twice in the fifth. Tighe scored one on an RBI groundout, plating freshman catcher Alexis Davis (Delanco, N.J./Riverside), and a frozen rope sacrifice fly to center off of Griffith's bat drove in Archibold, cutting the deficit to 5-3.
 
Substitutions paid dividends for WP in the sixth, as sophomore pinch hitter Andee Lupica (Maywood, N.J./Immaculate Conception) muscled an RBI single into left field, bringing the speedy sophomore pinch runner Lexi Reale (Smithtown, N.Y./St. Anthony's) in from second, making it 5-4. Lutas was retired on a groundout with two on, finishing WP in the sixth.
 
With one out in the seventh, Griffith reached on a single to right field and stole second base, putting pressure on Rutgers-Newark once again. Yusko got Molnar to go down swinging and coaxed a Hickman fly out to center to stymie the comeback.
 
Byrnes (10-4) put forth a valiant effort on the day, working 10.2 combined innings, but took the loss in game two, surrendering five earned on nine hits. Freshman hurler Alexis Davidson (Hamilton, N.J./Nottingham) was strong in relief, pitching 2.1 scoreless in the circle.
 
Yusko (3-2) went the distance, fanning five while allowing four runs, two earned, on eight hits and a base on balls.
 
Griffith led WP in her ninth multi-hit effort this season, going 2-for-3 with a run, RBI and two stolen bases. Six Pioneers recorded at least one base knock.
 
Arute, Walizer, Contravo and rookie catcher Sam Morton all had two hits in a team effort of 11 hits.
 
Softball is slated to host Montclair State in a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader Tuesday, April 10 at 3:00 p.m.
 
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