Rutgers Softball Edged 4-1 By Long Beach State

Sunday, March 9

Long Beach, Calif.

Rutgers University

6-8

Long Beach State

15-7

RUTGERS

Long Beach State

Mar 09 | Softball

Box Score

LONG BEACH, Calif. - Despite out-hitting Long Beach State 9-5, the Rutgers softball team (6-8) was unable to drive in critical runs as the Scarlet Knights were defeated in a close 4-1 game on the final day of the Long Beach Invitationl on Sunday, March 9.

LBSU's leadoff batter Jessica Beaver earned a walk to start the game, but the Scarlet Knights quickly thwarted any chances of a scoring opportunity as freshman pitcher Katye Hamlin (College Station, Texas) sat down the next batter on strikes and got the third batter to line into a double-play. Senior third baseman Shantai Dixon (Sayreville, N.J.) snagged a shot to the hot corner and immediately fired a throw over to first to double up Beaver.

Hamlin kept the Scarlet Knights in the game, pitching solidly in the next inning as she retired the side in order; however the 49ers broke things open in the third with four runs on three hits in the bottom frame.

Sophomore pitcher Nicole Lindley (Cicero, N.Y.) entered the game in the fourth in relief, and after giving up a walk to the first batter faced, she went on to induce a pair of groundouts and struck out the final batter to get Rutgers out of the inning. Lindley also put down the Beach in order in the fifth with a pop-up and two ground balls as she pitched two innings without allowing a run or hit.

The Scarlet Knights chipped into LBSU's lead with a solo home run to left field by junior shortstop Sarah Kalka (Moreno Valley, Calif.). Kalka, a first team All-BIG EAST selection a year ago, posted her first long ball of the season with a bomb that used every inch of the 220 feet to left field.

Closing the gap to three runs (4-1), RU nearly inched closer on a double down the right-field line by junior Amanda Heller (Belle Mead, N.J.) and a single from freshman Jen Meinheit (Anaheim Hills, Calif.), but the two-out rally ended before another run could cross the plate.

Rutgers threatened again in the seventh with a single up the middle by junior Amanda Shaw (Yorba Linda, Calif.) but ended abruptly as Long Beach went on to pick up the 4-1 victory. Shaw finished 2-for-4 on the afternoon, while RU also received hits from Dixon, freshman Mandy Craig (Manassas, Va.), junior Brittany Loisel (Gilbert, Ariz.) and senior Mallory Miller (Anaheim, Calif.).

Junior Chrissy Yard (Hillsborough, N.J.) also made an appearance in the circle, pitching a scoreless inning and allowing just one hit.

The Scarlet Knights will return to action on Friday, March 14, for the USF Under Armour Classic in Clearwater, Fla. Rutgers is scheduled to face Radford at 11:00 a.m. in the tournament hosted by BIG EAST rival South Florida.