Heller, Kalka Drive Rutgers Softball Past Rider 10-2

Tuesday, April 8

Piscataway. N.J.

Rutgers

14-21

Rider

7-15

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Rider	0	0	2	0	0	2	7	5
RUTGERS	0	0	4	5	1	10	8	1

Heller, Kalka Drive Rutgers Softball Past Rider 10-2

Apr 08 | Softball

Box Score

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Junior Amanda Heller (Belle Mead, N.J.) drove in three runs, while junior Sarah Kalka (Monroe Valley, Calif.) added a pair of RBI to lead the Rutgers softball team (14-21) to a 10-2 victory over Rider (7-15) in five innings on Tuesday evening at the RU Softball Complex.

The Scarlet Knights also received solid relief pitching from freshman Katye Hamlin (College Station, Texas) and junior Chrissy Yard (Hillsborough, N.J.) to help propel them to the win. Hamlin was the pitcher of record when RU gained the lead and moved to 6-7 on the season, while Yard earned her first save of the season, holding the Rider bats at bay in 1.2 innings of work. Yard allowed one hit and struck out three.

Rider scored two runs in the top of the third to take an early lead. Rutgers responded to the deficit with four runs in the bottom of the frame to reclaim the lead and added six more runs over the next two innings to secure the shortened five inning victory.

Freshmen Mickenzie Alden (Spokane, Wash.) and Jen Meinheit (Anaheim Hills, Calif.) each reached base safely on errors by the Rider infield to start the third inning. Junior Amanda Shaw (Yorba Linda, Calif.) then reached on a fielder's choice as an attempt to the get the lead runner out resulted in another error and loaded the bases for the Scarlet Knights.

Heller stepped to the plate and cleared the bases with a double to left-center field; giving Rutgers a 3-2 lead and the team never trailed again. Heller eventually advanced to third and later scored on a fielder's choice by senior Mallory Miller (Anaheim, Calf.) to make it 4-2 in RU's favor.

Rutgers got its biggest output of the game in the fourth inning, scoring five runs on four hits. With two outs, Alden singled to centerfield and stole second base to start the rally. Junior Brittany Loisel (Gilbert, Ariz.) entered the game as a pinch hitter and drove in Alden with a single. An error in the outfield put Shaw on base and allowed Loisel to score as the Scarlet Knights extended their lead to 6-2.

Heller then walked to give RU runners on first and second, while freshman Mandy Craig (Manassas, Va.) plated another run with a single. Miller earned a walk in her at-bat to load the bases as Kalka hit a two-run single to right field, putting the Scarlet Knights ahead 9-2.

Rutgers increased its lead to eight (10-2) with a single run in the next inning, resulting in the mercy rule as the game was called in five innings. Senior Shantai Dixon (Sayreville, N.J.) singled to right field, moved to second base on a groundout by Loisel before scoring on an RBI-single by Shaw.

The Scarlet Knights will return to action for another non-conference matchup against Princeton on Wednesday, April 9. The doubleheader is scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. start. Rutgers will resume conference play with a BIG EAST road trip at Notre Dame on Saturday, April 12 and DePaul on Sunday, April 13.