Softball Sweeps Doubleheader at Maryland

Wednesday, April 20

College Park, Md.

3:00 PM

Rutgers

19-26, 3-10

Maryland

11-31, 3-10

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

Apr 20 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

April 20, 2016

Final Stats

COLLEGE PARK, MD. (April 20, 2016) - The Rutgers softball team returned to the win column, sweeping its doubleheader at Maryland on Wednesday night at the Maryland Softball Stadium. Senior Dresden Maddox (Kennesaw, Ga.) picked up a win and a save to highlight the showdown on Big Ten Network.

Rutgers improved to an overall record of 20-26 and a Big Ten mark of 4-10, while Maryland dropped to 11-32 overall and 3-11 in league play.

GAME ONE
Rutgers blanked Maryland, 4-0, in game one as Dresden Maddox tossed a complete game for her second shutout victory of the season. Maddox tied her season-high with seven strikeouts and allowed only four hits in the win.

Five different Scarlet Knights registered a hit, marking the 25th game with five or more in the lineup posting a hit. Freshman Allie Yoffee (Ringwood, N.J.) registered a home run in the win for her second collegiate hit.

Maryland was led by Skylnne Ellazar with two hits, while Sarah Calta and Kylie Datil followed with a hit each.

After Rutgers stranded two runners on in the top of the first, Dresden Maddox responded by stranding a Maryland runner on in the bottom half of the frame to keep the game scoreless.

Following another scoreless frame for either side, the Scarlet Knights posted the first runs of the contest in the top of the third. After leading off with a hit, senior Stephanie Huang (Paramus, N.J.) would go on to round the bases due to a throwing error at second on the following play, crossing home to give RU a 1-0 lead. Next up, a sacrifice fly for senior Melanie Slowinski (Severn, Md) sent freshman Nicolette Anico (Liberty County, Fla.) home to extend the advantage to 2-0.

Dresden Maddox maintained the two-run lead into the fifth inning, extending her streak to five consecutive scoreless frames with three strikeouts and three Terrapins left on base in the process.

In the top of the sixth, Rutgers cushioned its lead with a run on two hits. After a one-out hit for sophomore Sierra Maddox (Kennesaw, Ga.), senior Jordan Whitley (Clayton, Del.) moved her to second with a sacrifice bunt. Following a hit for Elizabeth Adams (Crystal Lake, Ill.), sophomore Jacqueline Kott (Burlington, N.J.), who entered to pinch run, advanced to scoring position at third. An interference call on the UMD defense the following play allowed Kott to cross home and push the RU lead to 3-0.

Although Maryland would get two runners on in the bottom of the sixth, Dresden Maddox dealt a strikeout to end the frame with the RU advantage unharmed.

A leadoff home run for Allie Yoffee in the top of the seventh cushioned the Rutgers lead at 4-0, as Dresden Maddox sealed the win by stranding two runners on in the bottom half of the inning to complete the shutout.

GAME TWO
Rutgers held off Maryland, 6-3, in game two, as junior Shayla Sweeney (Barrington, N.J.) picked up the win and Dreden Maddox closed the day with a save.

Melanie Slowinski led the stat sheet for RU with two hits, two RBIs and a run, while Stephanie Huang followed with two hits of her own.

Five Terps added a hit in the loss, as Lindsey Schmeiser led the way with a two-run home run.

Following a scoreless first inning for either side, Sierra Maddox notched a home run in the top of the second to give Rutgers the one-run edge.

Shayla Sweeney and the defense would then strand a Terp runner on in the bottom half of the inning to hold the lead.

After Maryland loaded the bases, a sacrifice fly for Kristina Dillard sent the tying run across to set the score at 1-1.

Rutgers responded with three runs on three hits and an error in the top of the fourth, as a leadoff hit for sophomore Rebecca Hall (Fairfax, Va.) ignited the rally. Slowinski joined Hall on base shortly after, reaching on a fielding error. Jordan Whitley kept things rolling by reclaiming the lead for RU, 2-1, with an RBI single.

Slowinski would go on to cross home on an Adams' groundout. As junior Carly Todd (Deptford, N.J.) stole second, Whitley slid into home to push the Scarlet Knights' lead to 4-1.

With solid help from the infield, Sweeney posted a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom half of the frame to keep RU's 4-1 advantage intact.

However, a two-run home run for UMD's Schmeiser in the fifth made it a one-run contest, bringing the score to 4-3. Sweeney maintained her composure by retiring three consecutive batters at the plate to hold the Scarlet Knight lead.

As the Scarlet Knight offense hit a lull, Dresden Maddox returned to the circle for Rutgers in the bottom of the sixth. After a double play posted the first two outs of the frame, Maddox added the third out by sending the batter down swinging to retain RU's one-run edge.

Rutgers bats found a rhythm again in the top of the seventh, as a walk for sophomore Meaghan Wells (Piscataway, N.J.) and a hit for Huang put two runners on. A two-out double for Slowinski then sent two runs in to re-extend the Scarlet Knight advantage to 6-3.

Maddox then closed the win with a 1-2-3 inning in the seventh to earn her first career save.

UP NEXT
Wrapping up its 2016 home slate, Rutgers returns home for a three-game set against Indiana from April 22-24. Saturday's contest marks Senior Day for the Scarlet Knights, as the program will honor its 2016 seniors - Elizabeth Adams, Stephanie Huang, Dresden Maddox, Melanie Slowinski, and Jordan Whitley - in a pre-game ceremony.

KNIGHT NOTES

Rutgers and Maryland met for the second time as Big Ten foes as both programs are in their second season in the league.
RU moved to 4-2 in the all-time series against UMD, registering four consecutive wins against the Terps.
The Scarlet Knights made their second appearance on the Big Ten Network this season. RU made its debut with a series-winning victory at Illinois on April 3.
Dresden Maddox tossed her sixth complete game for her second shutout of the season, tying her season-high with seven strikeouts and allowing only four hits.
In game two, Dresden Maddox entered in relief in the sixth inning, going on to post the first save of her career.
Allie Yoffee posted her second home run of the season in game one. It marked her second collegiate hit, registering both of those hits as home runs.
Sierra Maddox posted her seventh home run of the season in game two, bringing her career total to 12 home runs.
In game two, Stephanie Huang posted her 16^th multi-hit game of the season, while Melanie Slowinski posted multiple hits for the 13^th time this year.

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