Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Box Score Game 1 | Box Score Game 2
MADISON, N.J. ( March 18, 2012) – Drew split their first Landmark Conference twinbill this afternoon against the University of Scranton (6-2).  The Rangers held on to defeat the Royals 8-7 in game one, but were unable to get the bats going in the second game, falling 7-2. 

Shortstop Jeramie Barletta (Madison, N.J./Madison) started the day with her break-out game of the season offensively for the Rangers, going 3-for-4 with two RBI singles and two runs scored to help hand the Royals their second loss of the season.

Game 1 –
The Rangers, who were ranked just below Scranton in the Landmark Conference preseason poll, jumped to the early lead, scoring three runs in the bottom f the first. 

Lexie Forsell (West Windsor N.J./West Windsor-Plainsboro) started the two-out scoring rally with a base hit up the middle, and advanced on the walk by first baseman Michelle Cozza (Wantagh, N.Y./MacArthur).  Barletta captured her first RBI on the day with a single down the right field line long enough to allow Forsell to score.  Kate McNamara (Levittown, N.Y./MacArthur) contributed to the effort with another single up the middle to bring in both runners. 

Scranton would answer with four runs in the top of the second inning on three hits allowed by pitcher Laura D'Ornellas (Lanoka Harbor, N.J./Lacey Township).  The teams continued to battle neck and neck, scoring one more run each, until the Rangers bats again exploded in the bottom of the fourth inning. 

With back-to-back hits from  Antoinette Tovar (South El Monte, Calif./South El Monte) and Cozza, Barletta came to the plate in position to take the lead.  With a line drive through the left side, she brought in Tovar for the tying run.  McNamara again followed Barletta's lead, reaching on the fielder's choice to bring Cozza home.  Catcher Rebecca Hutsebaut (Vernon, N.J./Vernon Township) contributed to the effort with a single of her own to allow Barletta to score.  Casey Reggiani (Whippany, N.J./Whippany Park) had an RBI base hit off of the Royals reliever, and the four runs would be enough to hold the lead for the rest of the game.
The Royals had a chance when they started off the sixth inning with a walk, single and a double by lead-off batter Kelly Zaccheo, who went 4-for-4 in the game.  After Zaccheo's two RBI's the Rangers were able to get out of the inning behind a strike out from D'Ornellas and a double play orchestrated by Barletta, Cozza and McNamara.

Game 2 –
The hits did not come as easily for the Rangers during a strong outing from Royals pitcher Christine Capalbo, who allowed six hits in seven innings for Scranton.  Her Ranger counterparts, Reggiani and Amy Benedict (Howell, N.J./Freehold Township), struggled, allowing a combined 13 hits.  Benedict recorded the most strike outs of any of the game's pitchers with five in less than five innings of work.

It was the Royals who came out swinging in game two.  Reggiani got in to trouble when two walks and a single combined to load the bases for Royals clean-up batter Tia Dimou, who would go 3-for-4 with four RBIs in the game.  Her first two RBIs came off of a first inning single up the middle, and Scranton never looked back.

The Rangers found themselves in a 4-0 hole in the bottom of the third with two outs and no one on.  Junior Jennifer Mateo (Union City, N.J./Union City) was able to run out a bunt to get on base and moved to third on a single from Tovar.  Forsell would have the only two Ranger RBIs of the game when her single to left brought in Mateo and Tovar. 

Scranton answered back with three runs in the bottom of the inning, led again by Dimou, who doubled through the left side with the bases loaded, which added two runs to the one already scored by Zaccheo earlier in the inning.  The Rangers had a chance to recover in the bottom of the sixth inning with two outs and the bases loaded, but a diving catch by Kaitlyn Frazza in left field ended the Ranger threat. 

The Rangers travel to Moravian this weekend for another conference doubleheader on Saturday.  First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Bethlehem, Pa.