Leafey, Johnson add ECAC Metro honors/Hall helps power Raptors' win
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
CAMDEN, N.J. (March 26, 2013) – It’s been quite a week for Rutgers University-Camden seniors Jackie Leafey (Gloucester City, NJ/Gloucester City) and Ashleigh Johnson (Bordentown, NJ/Bordentown Regional),and the two Scarlet Raptors haven’t even played a softball game yet.
Leafey, Rutgers-Camden’s centerfielder, and Johnson, its right-handed pitching ace, were named as Player of the Week and Pitcher of the Week by the New Jersey Athletic Conference on Monday. Today, they added the same honors as they captured the ECAC Division III Metro Player and Pitcher of the Week recognition.
The honors came on their spectacular performances during the Scarlet Raptors’ 9-0 trip to the Snowbird Invitational in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, from March 17-22. Included in that trip was an 8-0 week from Monday, March 18, through Friday, March 22, the period which earned the two Scarlet Raptors their honors.
Leafey, who started seven of those games, hit safely in all seven at .500 (9-for-18), while adding an amazing 1.056 slugging percentage. Her current hitting streak is tied for the longest streak on the team so far this season.
Leafey’s accomplishments also earned her recognition as Rutgers-Camden’s Raptor of the Week on Monday. Among her nine hits for the week were three doubles, two triples and a grand slam, the Scarlet Raptors’ first slam since 2007. She led the club in hitting, slugging, runs scored (eight), triples and on-base percentage (.526) during the week, while tying for the club lead with her three doubles, one home run and two stolen bases (in two attempts). She also added nine RBIs, second on the team during the week to 10 by freshman designated player/pitcher Sam Shockey (Deptford, NJ/Deptford), who was named the NJAC’s Rookie Pitcher of the Week on Monday.
While she played the majority of her time in center field, Leafey also played two games at second base. Overall she had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with nine putouts and four assists.
Leafey’s three-run double against Division II Mansfield University on Friday morning lifted the Scarlet Raptors to a 3-1 victory, which gave Head Coach Brian Wolverton the 100th win of his Rutgers-Camden career. Later that same day, Leafey went 2-for-4, including her grand slam, in a win over the University of Minnesota-Morris.
For the season, Leafey is hitting .361 with a slugging percentage of .667. She has 12 RBIs and is tied for the team lead with 13 runs scored.
Johnson’s performance included a sparkling 0.28 ERA and a 4-0 record in five games during the week. She won all four of her starts, including the 3-1 victory over Mansfield and a 5-4 win over Division II Clarion University (March 21), in which all four of the runs were unearned. She started out with a five-inning shutout against Southern Vermont (March 18) and followed it up with another five-inning shutout over Minnesota-Morris (March 20). After her wins over Clarion and Mansfield, she pitched the final inning of another win over Minnesota-Morris (March 22).
During the week, Johnson hurled 25 innings, allowing 17 hits and five runs – only one of them, coming against Mansfield, was earned – and walked five. She struck out 25.
The big week hiked Johnson’s record to 7-1 and lowered her ERA to 1.62. She owns seven complete games and two shutouts and has worked 52 innings, allowing 49 hits and 14 walks, while striking out 41.
Hall helps power Raptors' win
MADISON, N.J. (March 26, 2013) – Sophomore first baseman Connor Hall (Delran, NJ/Delran) went 2-for-5 with two doubles and three RBIs to power the Rutgers University-Camden baseball team over Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham, 8-4, in a non-conference game here Tuesday afternoon.
With their fifth victory in six games, the Scarlet Raptors improve to 12-7. The Devils fall to 7-7, snapping a three-game winning streak.
Rutgers-Camden took the lead for good on a two-out RBI double by freshman shortstopJoe Sigismondi (Blackwood, NJ/Highland Regional) in the second inning. He plated senior catcher Shaune Collins (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East), who had drawn a one-out walk.
The Scarlet Raptors opened up the game with a four-run fourth inning, sparked by back-to-back walks from senior rightfielder Donnie Haines (Carneys Point, NJ/Penns Grove)and junior second baseman Luis Maldonado (Ponce, Puerto Rico/Pennsauken) to open the frame. After a double steal, Sigismondi walked to load the bases and senior centerfielder Albert Rivera (Matawan, NJ/Matawan Regional) singled home the first run of the inning. One out later, junior third baseman Adrian Gonzalez (Pennsauken, NJ/Pennsauken) doubled home two runs and the final run scored on an error.
The Scarlet Raptors tacked on their final three runs in the sixth inning. They loaded the bases on an error, a hit batsman and catcher’s interference before Hall cleared the bags with his second double of the game.
Freshman John Waters (Galloway, NJ/Absegami) worked seven innings, allowing seven hits and three earned runs, to raise his record to 3-0 for the Scarlet Raptors. He walked one and struck out four. JuniorPaul Walters (Gloucester, NJ/Gloucester) pitched the final two frames, allowing three hits and one earned run, while striking out one.
In addition to Hall, Rivera also had two hits for the Raptors, while adding one RBI and two runs. Gonzalez had one RBI.
FDU-Florham starter Alec Fenstermacher (Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood)took the loss, allowing two hits, nine walks and four earned runs in three innings.
Junior first baseman Frank LaGuarina (Somerset, NJ/Immaculata) went 3-for-4 with one run and one RBI for the Devils.
Rutgers-Camden hosts Kean University Saturday at 11:30 a.m. in a doubleheader to open its New Jersey Athletic Conference schedule. The Cougars are ranked No. 5 in this week’s American Baseball Coaches Association/Collegiate Baseball Division III national poll. They also are ranked No. 6 in the latestD3baseball.com Top 25 poll.