Softball Suffers Setback to Northern Illinois in Season Opener

Friday, February 17

Athens, Ohio

12:30 PM

Rutgers University

0-2

Ohio

5-1

Rutgers

Ohio

Softball Suffers Setback to Northern Illinois in Season Opener

Feb 17 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Feb. 17, 2017

Final Stats

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Opening the 2017 season, the Rutgers softball team suffered a pair of setbacks to Northern Illinois and Ohio on Friday at the Ohio Softball field.

The Scarlet Knights (0-2) fell to the Huskies (1-0) by a score of 17-9 and to Ohio (5-1) by a mark of 8-5.

Freshman Taryn Atlee led RU with five total hits on the day, including a triple. Senior Carly Todd followed with four hits of her own to go with three RBIs and three runs. Junior Rebecca Hall registered the 11th home run of her career.

GAME ONE - NORTHERN ILLINOIS ( Box Score)
Despite carrying a 9-7 lead into the top of the seventh, Rutgers fell to Northern Illinois, 17-9, in its season opener.

Moving into the bottom half of the second trailing 5-0, Rutgers bats came alive to plate six runs to move in front, 6-5. As the teams traded the lead across the following innings, the Scarlet Knights entered the top of the seventh with a 9-8 lead. Having entered in relief in the third, sophomore righthander Whitney Jones retired the first two batters of the seventh frame. However, the Huskies regrouped to find a nine-run rally, reclaiming the lead for good.

Jones (0-1) suffered the loss, while Ohio's Keegan Hayes (1-0) took the win.

Todd led RU with two hits, including a three-RBI double. Atlee and freshman Hailey Hoklotubbe each posted two hits as well. Hall added in a two-run home run in the loss.

Kayti Grable led the Huskies with a 3-for-3 performance, including a home run and three RBIs. Alaynie Woollard added three hits as well, posting a home run of her own and a team-high five RBIs.

THE GAME
NIU pushed to a 5-0 lead across the first two innings, as RU stranded four runners on during the span.

The Scarlet Knight bats soon came to life in the bottom of the second frame. After freshman Anyssa Iliopoulos scored on an error, Todd registered her second hit of the game as a double to score three more runs that cut into the deficit, 5-4. Hall followed with a two-run homer to put RU in the lead, 6-5.

Although NIU would tie it up with a run on a hit and an RU miscue in the top of the third, a walk for Atlee with the bases loaded sent freshman Nicole Bowman home and returned the lead to the Scarlet Knights, 7-6.

The Huskies used a single run in the top of the fourth to knot the count. The Scarlet Knights countered by scoring two runs on three hits to recapture the lead at 9-7.

Following a scoreless fifth for either side, NIU's Grable led off the sixth with a solo homer to make it a one-run game.

After the RU bats remained silent in the bottom half of the inning, Jones opened the seventh frame with a strikeout followed by forcing a fly out. However, the Huskies stayed alive to rally a nine-run frame on three home runs in the top of the frame to reclaim the lead for good.

GAME TWO - OHIO ( Box Score)
In its second contest of the day, Rutgers relinquished an early lead and fell in an 8-5 decision to Ohio.

The Scarlet Knights opened the game with a 3-2 lead heading into the bottom of the third inning. The Bobcats used a rally to registered six runs for an 8-3 lead in their favor. Although the senior righthander Shayla Sweeney entered to hold Ohio scoreless for the remaining frames, RU was unable to mount a comeback.

Freshman Cambria Keefer (0-1) suffered the loss for RU, while Danielle Stiene (2-0) claimed the win.

Atlee led RU with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate, followed by Todd who finished 2-for-4.

Ohio was paced by Casie Hutchinson with a 3-for-3 outing, including two runs and an RBI. Madison Claytor registered two home runs in the win.

THE GAME
After back-to-back hits for Atlee and Todd started off the contest, freshman Nicole Bowman registered an RBI single to score a run. A wild pitch would then send a second run in to give the Scarlet Knights a 2-0 edge.

Entering the circle for her first start, Keefer struck out the first batter of the frame. Although Ohio would post a hit, Keefer would strand the runner on to keep the Rutgers lead intact.

Following a scoreless second inning for RU, Ohio used a two-run home run from Claytor to tie up the count, 2-2.

Atlee led off the third inning with a triple, setting up the opportunity for Hall to send her home by reaching on a fielder's choice. Rutgers reclaimed the lead 3-2 on the run. However, Ohio responded with six runs on four hits, including a Claytor grand slam, in the bottom of the inning to move back in front, 8-3.

As RU struggled to send a run home, Sweeney held strong in relief, posting three scoreless innings and stranding four Bobcats on across the span.

The Scarlet Knights tacked on two runs in the top of the seventh, but it was not enough to complete a comeback.

UP NEXT
Rutgers returns to action tomorrow for rematches with Northern Illinois at 10 a.m. ET and Ohio at 3 p.m. ET.

KNIGHT NOTES

- Freshmen Taryn Atlee, Nicole Bowman, Hailey Hoklotubbe, Anyssa Iliopoulos, and Cambria Keefer all saw their first collegiate starts as Scarlet Knights.

-Atlee, Bowman and Hoklotubbe all registered their first collegiate hits in their first career starts.

-Rebecca Hall registered a two-run home run against NIU, marking her 11th homer of her career.

Follow Rutgers Softball on Twitter (@RUSoftball) and Instagram (@RU_Softball) for all of the latest news and updates. The team is also on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersSB). For all Rutgers Athletics news follow us on Twitter (@RUAthletics), Instagram (@RUAthletics), Snapchat (@RUAthletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersAthletics).

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