Rutgers Softball Defeats New Mexico, 9-6

Sunday, March 8

Albuquerque, N.M.

11:00 AM

Rutgers

6-6

New Mexico

12-9

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Rutgers	2	5	0	1	0	1	0	9	9	1
New Mexico	1	0	2	0	2	1	0	6	9	2

Mar 08 | Softball

Box Score

March 8, 2015

Final Stats

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (Mar. 8, 2014) - Concluding its weekend at the Lobo Classic, the Rutgers softball team defeated host New Mexico, 9-6, on Sunday morning at the Lobo Softball field.

The Scarlet Knights improve to an overall record of 6-6, while the Lobos fall to 12-9. RU ends the tournament with a 2-1 mark.

Rutgers capitalized on four walks in the top of the first to generate an early 2-0 advantage.

Guided by a triple from Lobo Shelbie Franc, New Mexico cut into the deficit 2-1. However, juniorDresden Maddox (Kennesaw, Ga.)struck out the final batter to halt the Lobos.

Igniting a rally in the top of the second, seniorJackie Bates (Lincroft, N.J.)homered to left field, bringing in three runs to give RU a 5-1 edge. The Scarlet Knights did not stop there as juniorJordan Whitley (Clayton, Del.), freshmanRebecca Hall (Fairfax, Va.) and juniorMelanie Slowinski (Severn, Md.)registered back-to-back-to-back hits, including consecutive doubles from Hall and Slowinski, en route to a 7-1 lead for Rutgers. Overall, RU recorded five runs on five hits.

Up next, Maddox and the defense retired three consecutive batters at the plate to send the RU offense back to the field. Despite a triple from Bates, the Scarlet Knights were unable to get a run across in the top of the third.

The Lobos responded with a two-run homer from Michala Erickson, which brought the score to 7-3 with the Scarlet Knights still in the lead. After Shelbie Franc singled up the middle for UNM, senior Alyssa Landrith (Vacaville, Calif.) entered the circle for RU, striking out the final batter to end the inning.

Moving to the top of the fourth, a throwing error from UNM would send freshman Jacqueline Kott (Burlington, N.J.)across the plate to extend RU's lead to 8-3.

Landrith maintained RU's advantage with a quick 1-2-3 and out inning, striking out two Lobos in the process to end the fourth.

New Mexico added on two runs in the bottom of the fifth, but Rutgers countered with a run of their own to open the sixth, extending its lead back to four runs, 9-5.

The Lobos would tack on one more run to bring the score to 9-6, however, it is the closest they would come as the Scarlet Knights took the win at the start of the bottom of the seventh due to a drop dead time set at the beginning of the game.

Landrith (2-3) earned the victory, while Lauren Soles (5-2) suffered her second loss of the season.

KNIGHT NOTES

Rutgers finishes its weekend at the Lobo Classic with a record of 2-1.
Rutgers drew a season-high eight walks in the victory.
Six different Scarlet Knights contributed to the team's nine hits.
Alyssa Landrith now has 55 career wins and is two victories away from tying for third in the RU record books.
Landrith sits atop the all-time career strikeout list with a program-high 523 strikeouts.
Jackie Bates recorded her third home run of the season to bring her career total to 21 home runs. She now tied for secondall-time on the career list.
Bates now has 97 career RBIs and she needs just 16 more to move into the top three on the all-time list.
Bates registered the second triple of her career in the win.
Jordan Whitley extended her hit streak to 10 consecutive contests to lead the team and also holds a 12-game reached base streak.
Bates follows with a 9-game hit streak and an 11-game reached base streak of her own.
Jax Kott notched the second run of her freshman campaign.

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- RU-