Montclair, NJ – Freshman righthander KIARA RUIZ tossed her second consecutive shutout helping Montclair State earn a split of its NJAC doubleheader with Rutgers-Camden at the MSU Softball Stadium on Sunday.

BLAKE SAPERSTEIN homered and NOEL HODGINS went 3-for-3 with an RBI for the Red Hawks (20-14), who registered a 3-0 victory in the nightcap after falling 5-2 in the opener. The split left MSU at 7-7 in the NJAC and in fifth place as the regular season draws to a close. MSU is a half-game ahead of Stockton for the final spot in the conference tournament race.

Catcher Mackenzie Mason had two RBI in the first game for the Scarlet Raptors (13-19), who are two games back of MSU at 5-9 in the league.

Ruiz (2-0) fired a four-hit shutout in her first collegiate start on Thursday and added another on Sunday scattering eight hits, striking out two and walking two. Kendra Pfister (4-3) took the loss for Rutgers-Camden.

Ruiz and Pfister matched zeroes on the board through the first two innings. Ruiz was able to maneuver out of trouble in the second as the Scarlet Raptors loaded the bases with one out. However the righty caught the next hitter looking for a strikeout and induced an inning-ending ground out.

MSU would break through in the bottom of the third as catcher ALANA LUNA walked to open the inning. A ground out moved the Luna to second before Hodgins smacked a double to center field for a 1-0 Montclair advantage.

Ruiz escaped another jam in the fourth as again the Raptors loaded the bases with three straight one-out singles. Again the freshman ended the threat with a foul pop and ground out keeping the Red Hawks in the lead.

Montclair State added to its lead in the fifth. Luna doubled with one out and was on third after KAYLEE POWERS walked and Hodgins singled into shallow left field. LIA STAMILE then lofted a foul ball down the right field line that was caught but deep enough to allow Luna to come home making the score 2-0.

Saperstein, who was 2-for-3 in the contest, added the final run with a solo blast leading off the sixth.

In the opener, Rutgers-Camden loaded the bases with no one out in the fourth but Montclair's SAM KEATING got a pair of force outs at the plate keeping the game at 0-0. But a wild pitch allowed Rachel Edwards to scamper home with the game's first run.

Back-to-back one out doubles by Allie Jenkins and Gabby Castellini made it a 2-0 Raptor lead in the fifth but MSU cut that in half in the bottom of the inning. ELENA RADESICH came within inches of giving MSU lead as her shot to left field with two runners on hit the top of the fence. Hodgins scored on the play for a 2-1 Rutgers-Camden lead.

The Raptors got that run back and more with three runs in the top of the sixth. Mason doubled home two runs and an error with two outs allowed the next run to score giving the visitors a 5-1 advantage.

Luna doubled home VICTORIA GEHRING with two outs in the sixth and the Red Hawks were looking for more as Powers singled through the right side. But the Raptors hit two relays gunning the runner at home plate to end the inning.

Jessica Thompson (8-12) picked up the win for Rutgers-Camden as she allowed two runs and 11 hits. She struck out four and walked none. Keating took the loss falling to 7-5.

Castellini had two hits for the Scarlet Raptors while Stamile went 3-for-4 for Montclair State.

The Red Hawks return to action on Tuesday, April 25 traveling to Mahwah, NJ to face first-place Ramapo College at 3:00 pm.