Softball Takes Down Rutgers-Newark at Space Coast Spring Games

MELBOURNE, Fla. – The MCLA Softball team continued its spring break road trip with a pair of scheduled games at the Space Coast Spring Games at the USSSA Space Coast Complex. The weather and the offense were perfect for the Trailblazers in their first game of the day, where Nevaeh Lopez played a role in six of MCLA's 13 runs in a six-inning mercy rule win. The second game was not as kind on either the softball or weather fronts, and was suspended due to rain and lightning until Wednesday, with UMass Boston ahead 9-0 in the top of the fifth inning.

THE BASICS:

• Date: Sunday, March 15, 2026
• Score: MCLA 13, Rutgers-Newark 4
• Records: MCLA Trailblazers 1-2 (MASCAC 0-0) | Rutgers University-Newark Scarlett Raiders 0-4 (NJAC 0-0)
• Series History: The all-time series is now tied at 3-3. Rutgers won the last meeting of the teams by the score of 12-11 on March 17, 2025, at the Space Coast Spring Games. The Scarlett Raiders also won the first-ever meeting of the teams by the score of 4-3 on March 16, 2009.

HIGHLIGHTS

• MCLA put the pressure on the Raiders early when Hailey Peabody (W. Springfield, MA) led off with an infield bunt on the very first pitch of the game, and then promptly moved into scoring position with a steal of second base. Nevaeh Lopez (Pittsfield, MA) brought Peabody around to score with a double down the leftfield line. Lopez moved to third when Hannah Gilbert's (Colrain, MA) foul pop was caught by the third baseman, who had left the bag unprotected. On the first pitch of her at bat, Maggie Closinski (Rome, NY) brought Lopez home with a single to right field.
• The Trailblazers added three more runs in the third inning, with Lopez providing the catalyst with a one-out single to left-center field and moved to second on Gilbert's fly ball to center. Closinski then went back to that same left-center gap and traded places with Lopez, putting MCLA ahead 3-0. Not to be outdone, Paxton Ebling (Pittsfield, MA) followed up with a lined shot to right field and turboed around to third base, scoring Closinski. Ebling then scored on Hannah Mitchem's (Baltimore, MD) infield single.
• Rutgers would respond in the bottom of the inning, scoring three runs of their own on three hits and a walk. The big blow was a two-run single up the middle by Gabriela Forese that left the Trailblazers with a 5-3 lead after three full innings.
• In the top of the fourth, Juliana Johansen (Pittsfield, MA) led off for the Trailblazers with a six-pitch walk, and then moved all the way to third when Miranda Ranzoni's (Adams, MA) infield single forced the Raiders' shortstop to throw off the mark. Ranzoni then promptly took second on the first pitch to Peabody, prompting Rutgers to change pitchers mid at-bat. Unphased, Peabody beat out an infield single to score Johansen and advance Ranzoni. Lopez followed with a hard ground ball to the shortstop, allowing Ranzoni to complete the circuit.
• In the bottom of the inning, the Raiders scored one run on one hit, when pinch hitter Lilly Montgomery led off with a double to the right-center gap, hitting for Laura Abreu. Abreu re-entered, and two batters later would move to third on a passed ball and then scored on a second passed ball to cut the deficit to 7-4.
• After the teams combined for one runner in the fifth, the MCLA bat awoke in the sixth, scoring six runs on three hits and forcing the Raiders into three errors. Johansen led off with a five-pitch walk and gave way to pinch runner Gabrielle Goonan (Washington, MA), who advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ranzoni and to third on a sacrifice bunt by Peabody. Lopez plated the run with a single through the left side. Gilbert then beat out an infield single to short, and Lopez moved to third when the first baseman couldn't handle the throw attempt on Gilbert.
• Continuing their intentions of applying pressure and an open bag at second, Gilbert took off on the first pitch, drawing a throw from the catcher. The second baseman cut in front, but her return throw to the catcher when Lopez took off for home was wide of the mark, allowing Lopez to score, and moving Gilbert to third.
• Another throwing error, this time by the third baseman allowed Gilbert to score and allowed Closinski to motor all the way around to third base, enticing another pitching change for the Raiders.
• The Trailblazers continued the pressure but did so with patience, drawing a pair of 3-2 walks by Ebling and Mitchem. With the bases full of Trailblazers, Amelia Leasure (Pittsfield, MA) looped a double down the left field line, scoring Closinski and Ebling and putting Mitchem at third until a wild pitch brought the outfielder around with the final run to put MCLA up 13-4.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• The Trailblazers' second game of the day against UMass-Boston was suspended in the top of the fifth and will be resumed before the teams' second matchup at the Space Coast Spring Games on Wednesday.

UP NEXT:

On Tuesday, MCLA will be back in action when it continues its run in the Space Coast Spring Games with a pair of games against the Salve Regina University Seahawks at 10 a.m. and the Grinnell College Pioneers at 12:15 p.m. at the USSSA Space Coast Complex.

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