PISCATAWAY, N.J. (April 28, 2015) -- Guided by three home runs from senior Jackie Bates (Lincroft, N.J.), Rutgers softball rolled LIU- Brooklyn, 18-9, on Tuesday afternoon at the RU Softball Complex.

RU improved to an overall record 27-17 and a mark of 9-3 at home,while LIU fell to a mark of 18-28 overall.

After a 1-2-3 inning from sophomore Shayla Sweeney (Barrington, N.J.), the Scarlet Knight bats came alive in the opening frame as RU registered six runs on five hits. Following a walk from junior Stephanie Huang (Paramus, N.J.), senior Chandler Howard (North Wilmington, Del.) sent Huang home with a single. Freshman Sierra Maddox (Kennesaw, Ga.) joined in the rally adding a two-RBI single. The Scarlet Knights were not finished there, as sophomore Carly Todd (Deptford, N.J.) drove two more runs in with a double. Huang added her second hit of the frame, scoring Todd and giving RU a 6-0 lead in the first inning.

The RU offense didn't have much time to rest, as Sweeney and the defense registered a double play to quickly end the top of the second.

In the bottom half of the frame, Bates led things off with a home run to center field. The bats stayed hot as Sierra Maddox drove in two more runs with a double this time around. An RBI single from Todd capped off a four-run inning for RU, giving the Scarlet Knights a 10-0 advantage.

Following another 1-2-3 showing for Sweeney in the circle, Bates registered her second long ball of the day, driving in two runs to extend the lead to 12-0.

After three scoreless innings of work for Sweeney, the Blackbirds countered with a two-run home run of their own from Nicole Archer to put LIU on the board. LIU would go on to add one more, bringing the score to 12-3 in the top of the fourth.

Rutgers responded with another six-run inning in the bottom half of the frame. After back-to-back walks from pinch hitters Jacqueline Kott (Burlington, N.J.) and Dana Hendry (Yorba Linda, Calif.), Huang notched her third hit of the day to score Kott. A single from Howard loaded the bases for RU as Bates took her spot in the batter's box. Similar to her other trips to the plate, the senior slugger notched a grand slam with her third home run of the day. Junior Jordan Whitley (Clayton, Del.) followed with a homer of her own, extending the RU edge to 18-3.

In the top of the fifth, the Blackbirds were able to plate six runs of their own, but it was not enough to catch up to the Scarlet Knights. Junior Dresden Maddox (Kennesaw, Ga.) entered the circle in relief, striking out the final batter to close the game after five-innings of play.

Sweeney registered the win for Rutgers and improved to a record of 6-2 on the season.

Rutgers returns to action with a trip to Iona on Wednesday, April 29. The first pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.

KNIGHT N OTES

• Rutgers 15 hits in the win marked the fourth time this season the Scarlet Knights have registered 15 or more hits.
• Jackie Bates registered her first grand slam of the season on her third long ball of the day. Her three homers marked a career-high for the senior in a single game.
• Bates brought her season total to 20 home runs and her career count to 38, ranking a top the single-season and career charts.
• with seven RBIs in the contest, Bates claimed the top spot on the single-season record list with 52. She surpassed Brittney Lindley's total of 47 set in 2011.
• Bates now has 139 career RBIs in the books, a mark that ranks second in Rutgers history. She is seven RBIs shy of claiming the top spot.
• Jordan Whitley added her second home run of the season.
• Sierra Maddox tied her career-high for the third time this season with four RBIs on two hits.
• Becca Hall extended her hit streak to 12 consecutive contests, while Stephanie Huang and Sierra Maddox brought their streaks to six straight games.

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- RU-